Reaping with Sorrow REBOOT
by SparkyDapperDab19
Summary: Reboot of previous story, Reaping with Sorrow. Cover art by Kegi Springfield: Betrayal is a nasty thing. It warps the minds of everyone involved and is the driving force of vengeance. For Jaune Arc, betrayal was something he felt face first as he fell into the Grimm pool. When he emerged, something else came out with a drive that demanded death.
1. Chapter 1

**Here it is everyone. I promised there would be a reboot at the end of spring or early summer and it is finally here. It saddened me to end my previous story, the comments you all sent were proof enough that you all had my back and understood, which I am eternally grateful for. Your support has been valued with the highest respect and I hope you all enjoy this. You all know the drill, I don't own RWBY or Overwatch. They belong to their respective owners. ENJOY!**

Reaping with Sorrow: Reboot

Prologue part one: The empathy of an old reaper

There was a silence that flooded the log cabin which the shrouded man relished in. The cool spring breeze contrasted the autumn glow that reverberated all around him. It was one of the reasons why he loved the Forever Fall so much. While the Grimm kept him from being bored, it was the consistency within the forest that kept him there with his cabin.

The man sat within the confinements of his cabin as he read one of the countless books that were stacked all around his small study while the record player he had occupied the silence with fortuitous music. A smile grew upon his lips as he relished in his daily accomplishments. He got enough firewood for the next few days, his crops in his garden were ripe for picking later, he had stopped by the one of the nearby settlements that had the generator fuel he would usually buy, hunting was never an issue for him, and his cells were absent of any tingling sensation he would get when Grimm were present. Along with his book about the biology of Grimm, the soft classic rock that came from his record player he kept throughout the years, and the stillness of the forest, it was needless to say that he was at his own pinnacle of relaxation.

A loud banging at his front door was the cause of his creased brow and confused frown. His irritation grew with every knock that followed after the sudden cacophony that destroyed his tranquility and he decided to satisfy the ones that were disturbing him. The man closed his book that he had just gotten into and reluctantly headed towards the door, not before removing the needle from the rotating record. With a sigh, he creaked his front door only a few inches to see who it was.

"Couple of kids?" he mumbled as he made sure his beanie wasn't tilted too much to one side. He continued to look through the small space and noticed that something was off with the three that were outside his cabin. The girl with the mint-green hair and dark skin looked paranoid to an extent while the other silver head boy was irritated to say the least. The man guessed the dirt messed with the kid's mechanical legs that made a rather loud wiring noise even though they were covered by his pants. The one who bothered him slightly was the one in the middle. She was still as the forest, but her indignant smirk only made the man uneasy. Her raven black hair along with her amber eyes and red dress were a few details that made him raise an eyebrow. All three of them were out of their element and it began to puzzle the man.

"Probably looking for directions home." he said to himself as he let out a breath of reassurance and opened the door all the way. The two behind the girl in the center were slightly alarmed at his presence, but the amber eyed girl's smirk only grew ever so slightly. The man narrowed his eyes at her and proceeded to put his hands on his hips. "How can I help you three?" he asked with a genuine attitude but made it clear that he wasn't pleased with their presence. "You lost?" he added which caused the mint haired girl and the kid with the prosthetic legs to look at one another for an answer.

"We were actually just on the way back to Vale." the leader said as she gestured to her subordinates. "This is Emerald, Mercury," she then placed a hand on her chest. "and I'm Cinder." She then gestured to the man who stood at the threshold of the door. "And you are?" the man folded his arms at her question and narrowed his eyes.

"What does it matter to you?" he asked with slight aggression. His sneer was off putting to Mercury and Emerald, but Cinder remained stagnant.

"Well besides being polite," she said as she folded her arms as well and took a few steps towards the man. "We are actually looking for someone who was said to be in the area." the man gritted his teeth as she began to pace back and forth in front of him. "Does the name Gabriel Reyes ring a bell?" as she said this, the man's grip on his arms tightened just enough for Cinder to notice. There was a silence that rested amongst them for a few moments before the man let out a slight chuckle.

"I take it she sent you?" he asked and his sudden question only earned a slow nod from Cinder. "Not surprising. She always sends her lapdogs first." the man said as he nodded towards Emerald and Mercury, who were not pleased that they were labeled as such.

"You wanna repeat that old ma-!" Mercury stopped in his tracks as Cinder put her hand up to stop her subordinate. The man smirked at this show of power and decided to step towards his three guests.

"I can assure you Mr. Reyes," this caused Gabriel to stop in his tracks as Cinder raised one of her hands towards him with a small bundle of fire that rested in her palm. "Your accusations couldn't be farther from the truth." Gabriel sighed slightly as he looked at the fire that brimmed from her palm along with one of her eyes. "And to answer your question," the fire that outlined her eye faded from existence. "She did send us. But not with ill intent. In fact, with a proposit-!"

"Forget it." Reyes said as he turned his back to Cinder and began to head back to his cabin. "If she wants to go on another warpath again, then she can do it without me." he was inches from the door when he felt a surge of heat pass through his being. Gabriel let out a sigh as he slowly turned back to see Cinder's flames grow. Her fire flickered with malice and the satisfied grin on her face only cemented her intentions. "So be it." Gabriel whispered to himself as he exhaled with a quivered jaw.

In an instant, smoke erupted from Gabriel that darted towards his three intruders. Cinder's flames were snuffed by a black smoke in an instant as it twisted at a rapid pace. Before Cinder, Emerald, or Mercury, could comprehend was happening, a gaping sensation attacked their lungs as the black cyclone that surrounded them sped up. The need for oxygen could be seen in Emerald and Mercury, but Cinder had a look of raw surprise on her face. Her wide eyes were aimed at the pair of crimson orbs that pierced through the darkness with a mirth that she couldn't comprehend.

Just before any of them could pass out, the smoke disappeared just as fast as it came and all that remained was Gabriel Reyes. His dark green jacket was a little disheveled and his beanie was tilted slightly to the side. Dark particles danced around the outline of his being as he had his hands in his pockets along with a frown on his face. His red eyes were replaced with brown ones as he blinked a few times and as he did so, he took a few steps towards Cinders kneeling form and got down to her level. Gabriel raised her chin up so that she could look at him and see everything, his past, his experience, and his desire for her to be erased from existence.

"That was a warning, Fall bitch." Gabriel growled as he could see her surprised eyes morph into fury. "If you don't want their lungs to collapse in on themselves, I suggest that you three leave and forget that this ever happened." Cinder darted her head towards her henchmen and could see Gabriel's smoke had lodged itself through their noses and mouths. She looked back to Gabriel who was dissatisfied at her confusion and decided to speed up the process. The choking escalated from Mercury and Emerald, and Cinder could feel the fear radiate off the two of them. She knew if this endeavor continued any further, the Grimm would come in droves.

Cinder said nothing. Instead, she nodded her head. Gabriel let out a slight grumble at her reluctance but released Emerald and Mercury from their restraints anyway. The two gasped and heaved as they felt the sweet sensation of oxygen fill their beings once more. Without any moment of rest, Gabriel folded his arms and flexed his smoke outwards in an intimidating manner.

"Leave. Now." he growled as the three of them were subjected to his eyes that resembled the creatures of Grimm. Mercury helped Emerald to her feet and Cinder got up on her volition. The three of them looked at him for a few moments before they turned to the forest and set off towards the kingdom. Once they disappeared from Gabriel's view, he couldn't help but let out a breath he had no idea he was holding in. "Sweet Oum." he said to himself as he grasped his aching shoulder. "Forgot how much that takes out of me." he winced a bit before he headed back inside his cabin in order to repair the tranquility that Salem's peons previously destroyed.

 **Six months later:**

Gabriel Reyes wasn't a paranoid man. Throughout his entire life. There was a philosophy that he held onto with an iron grip. That philosophy was to never let fear get the better of him. If he lived his life in fear, then he wouldn't be living at all. That being said, his philosophy didn't say anything when it came to being on edge.

Ever since the visit of the fall maiden, his views on his life shifted. Salem knew he was still alive, and she knew where he resided. It didn't take a genius to realize that any day, another war could break out while she orchestrated it from the sidelines. At a time, he would have stood against her along with the knowledge that the world they lived in was an unforgiving one. Nevertheless, he would have faced her, but that was a long time ago.

In those six months, Gabriel cleared out his cabin along with the garden. His books were stowed away and the only thing to occupy his once Nirvana was his bed in the back corner and the record player that soothed his ears. The silence that comforted him was there when the music didn't suffice his needs and it had never left him as he slumbered through the star filled night.

That silence was shattered with the snap of a twig. Gabriel's eyes shot open as he heard the leaves shuffle from all around him. If he were to guess, ten plus foot mobiles were surrounding him from all sides. His eyes relaxed as he did his best not to groan with frustration. As the shuffling grew louder, he wondered who it was.

"Kids couldn't have sent Vale after me." Gabriel whispered to himself as he eyed the latch that resided in the center of his cabin. "Salem likes to take risks but involving herself like that would expose her to some extent." he slowly sat up and rubbed the back of his head while he ignored the smoke that circled around him. A few moments past before he looked down to see that he was clothed in his old combat attire along with his signature beanie. "Well, time to see what this is about." he said as he placed a record on the record player. Once he rigged the generator up along with the record player, he grinned slightly and he didn't even bother to open the latch in the middle of the room as he dissipated into smoke and slipped through the wooden floorboards.

#

"Red Bull, do you copy?" Keith called out into his earpiece as he and his squad of White Fang grunts were closing in on the location they were ordered to check on. He honestly thought it was a waste of time and a risk to his team.

"This is Red Bull," Keith rolled his eyes as he heard the obnoxious and almost angry voice of Adam Taurus break through his communicator. "Have you reached the destination coordinates?"

"Yes sir," Keith did his best not to show any attitude towards his commander. "Just like that woman said. Nothing outstanding at the moment. Just a cabin, there's a generator at the side of it but nothing else and from what we can see, no movement." Keith looked over to half his squad and signaled them to circle around to the back side of the cabin.

"Good. Eliminate anyone you see. We are tying up loose ends. Red Bull out." as soon as Adam disconnected, Keith removed his earpiece and let out a sigh of relief.

"Commander still sounding kinda crazy?" Keith looked to his side to see one of his squad members Drew, with his rifle focused on the cabin. The kid was a rookie, but his heart was in the right place.

"Unfortunately, yes." Keith said as he swatted a fly from one of his wolf ears. "Sounded sociopathic during that last part."

"Was he always like this?" Drew asked as his grip began to slightly shake along with his fox tail. Keith noticed this and wanted to tell him that everything was going to be fine, but he would be lying to the both the kid and himself if he said that. For some reason, he felt his gut gnaw at his being as it practically begged him to flee, but he knew that Adam would have his head if he found out they retreated.

"No. Though he started slipping as soon as that bitch of his left." Keith chuckled slightly as he watched his squad get into their positions. "It was quite the day. Never really pegged him for a guy to have a meltdown." Drew looked at him with a hint of disbelief while Keith only gave him a smirk to confirm what he had said. Keith then put his hand out to Drew, silencing any other questions the fox faunus may or may have not had. Keith put his earpiece back on and turned it to the frequency of his team. "This is White Wolf, is everyone in position?"

"Section one, is in position."

"Section two, in position."

"Section three, in position."

"Section four, in position."

"Then you are clear to engage." the second Keith's orders escaped his lips, all sections of his squad opened fire on the cabin. The bombastic and rapid succession of the dust rounds echoed throughout the entirety of the forest, which caused the local fauna to flee from the monstrous noise that came from the ten men who obliterated their intended target.

"Cease fire. I repeat, cease fire." Keith ordered into his earpiece and the gunfire immediately ended. The smell of fire dust and phosphorous invaded Keith's enhanced sense of smell which caused him to grin. "C'mon kid," Keith said as he tapped Drew's shoulder, "Let's go check out the damage." Drew hesitated slightly before he nodded and Keith noticed his reluctance. "We got it under control, now c'mon. The body isn't going to confirm itself." a shaky breath escaped Drew before he got up from his position and jogged up to his leader's side.

Keith looked to both sides to see that his squad members stayed where they were, though they had their rifles still trained on the house. Keith nodded to the ones he could see, making sure what they did was valued. Once Keith and Drew made it to the entrance of the cabin, they could see that the door was hanging barely on its hinges. The two made their way to the threshold and used the splintered logs as cover. Once Keith gave a nod, Drew stepped in front of the door and kicked it down. Before either could register what had happened, a revving engine could be heard and once the generator turned on, the sound of scratched record came from under the cabin.

 **Play: Blues Saraceno, "Grave Digger"**

"What the?" Keith asked as he followed Drew into the cabin. The room was completely empty besides the destroyed bed that resided all across the room.

"Where is that music coming from?" Drew asked with an anxious tone.

"AAAAAGH!" Keith's ears perked and his head darted back to the door as he heard a scream break through the somber music. Gunfire followed soon after before it was snuffed out.

"C'mon kid!" Keith shouted over the gunfire that once more invaded their eardrums. The two White Fang members charged out of the cabin. "All units, the fuck is going on?!" Keith yelled into his earpiece.

"Ambush Sergeant!" one of his men shouted back before the gunfire continued. Keith and Drew looked all around them, only to see a stream of smoke dart and weave through the tree line. Both saw their teammates open fire at the smoke but once the smoke got near their friends, the screams would escalate before being silenced suddenly.

"What is that thing?!" Drew hollered at Keith as they both heard another one of their teammates scream with unadulterated anguish.

"Fall back! We're getting out of here!" Keith yelled as he shoved his subordinate towards their intended escape route. "All units, retreat!"

"Sweet Oum! Where is he coming from?!"

"Can't see shit! Can't see shit!"

"For the love of the gods! Get back! GET BACK!"

"AAAAAAAGGHH!"

Keith looked up from his focused position with wide eyes as he heard nothing after the screams had ceased. His eyes softened a few moments later as he looked to Drew, who heard everything as well. There was a fear within Keith's team member that he wished he never had to see again. It was the fear that all of the recruits go through at least once during their time in the White Fang. That fear was sparked by the realization that compared to their adversary, they were nothing but cannon fodder.

"We gotta move." Keith muttered as he made sure his dust rifle was loaded. The two began to sprint through the darkness. Due to their night vision, they didn't have a problem overcoming every natural obstacle that came their way. "White Wolf to Red Bull! Come in!" Keith hissed into his earpiece. There was a consistent line of static that passed through his ear only fueled his anger towards his commander. "ADAM YOU BASTARD! PICK UP THE FUCKING MIC!" the quick pace of their feet against the underbrush and their quick breaths were the only noises that Keith could hear.

"Sergeant," Keith couldn't tell whether to celebrate or curse at the dreaded voice that came through his earpiece. "Need I remind you that-" Adam was interrupted by a growl that emitted from Keith.

"You sent us into a suicide mission, you sadistic fuck!" Keith barked back. "Whatever the fucking target was, it knew we were coming. The whole team is torn to shreds and if I make it back alive, I will rip those stupid fucking horns from your head!" Keith ripped his earpiece off and tossed it aside, all while wondering what the look on Adam's face was like.

"You really going to do that?" Drew asked and Keith looked to his side to see the fear driven fox in a somewhat panicked state. Keith let out a sigh and a nod was the only response from him.

"Was planning on leaving anyway. A friend of mine were thinking of heading towards Vale before going back to Mena- AGGH!" Keith felt his heel flare in pain as he fell to the dirt. He did his best to suppress any tears as he looked down to see a combat knife, imbedded into his heel. He looked up to the trail the had ran through and his eyes widened as he saw a tight stream of smoke rocket right toward him.

"Sergeant!" Drew shouted as he turned back to Keith. The kid was trying to help him to his feet, but Keith shook his head as he shoved Drew aside.

"Go! NOW!" Keith screamed as he readied his rifle. He looked back to see that Drew was frightened beyond belief. It took him a few moments, but a slight grin grew on Keith's faces as he saw Drew nod at his order, before he continued down the path they were going.

"Alright you fuck." Keith growled as he aimed his sights on the smoke that was only getting closer. "C'mon." Keith fired off a few rounds in rapid succession, only for the bullets to phase through the smoke. "C'mon." he continued with more prolonged bursts as the smoke picked up speed. "C'MON!" Keith shouted as he held the trigger that unloaded a barrage of dust rounds at his assailant. The gunfire ceased when Keith felt the tearing sensation come from his foot as the smoke overcame him. He could see red eyes pierce through the darkness as the knife trailed up his leg and Keith couldn't even let out a scream as he felt the serrated steel slip across this throat. The warmth of his blood flowed down his neck and the only noises he could make were strangled gurgles as he felt his eyes roll back into the eternal darkness.

#

Gabriel could feel his cells twist and turn all around him. No matter how many times he let loose, that twinge of pain he felt spread from his spine would always be there; as if it was a friend who was giving him a warm welcome after such a long absence. That feeling soon dissipated as he solidified once more while he pulled his knife from the White Fang's throat.

"White Fang huh?" Gabriel said to himself as he looked down at the corpse that was sprawled across the dirt. That explains the lack of aura. So, they're wrapped around her finger as well? Color me surprised." he chuckled slightly. before he could put the knife back in its sheath, he felt a sudden impact to his side.

"You bastard!" Gabriel heard the cracked voice of a White Fang grunt as he was tackled to the dirt. What neither of them expected was the sudden bluff that they began to tumble down. Gripes and slight cries of pain could be heard from both parties as they continued their departure down the slope and eventually to a level surface.

Gabriel pushed himself off the crimson grass and only had a few moments to dodge the oncoming strike the grunt made. Gabriel let out a primal growl as he noticed it was his knife in the hands of some faunus. He dodged the telegraphed attacks with ease and noticed his opponent was beyond terrified. He almost gave the kid respect for being so angry. It still didn't change his attitude on the situation at hand.

"Die!" the grunt screamed as he reeled his hand back for a downward strike. Gabriel ceased this opportunity as invaded his personal space and latched his hand around the fox faunus's neck. He then lifted his opponent off the ground while he ignored the struggled gurgles that escaped through his fingers.

The grunt let out one last gurgled cry as he took the knife he had in his right hand and attempted to plunge it into Gabriel's head. He could feel the blade make contact, but the satisfaction on the White Fang's face was replaced with unadulterated fear as smoke began to pour all around them. The faunus could see through the flowing smoke that Gabriel let out a slight chuckle before he snapped the grunt's neck. The smoke returned to Gabriel's head as he took a few steps back only to lean against the tree.

 **Song End**

"Too old for this," he said before he winced at the sharp pain in his side. "And way too damn lucky." Gabriel groaned as he clutched the injured area. Despite being physically fine, he could feel his own body eating at him. He knew then and there that he would be in a world of pain the next time he woke up from a well-earned rest.

"Now to get back." he told himself as he brushed the dirt off his jacket. He soon found his beanie as well alongside the slope he tumbled down and he made sure that it wasn't torn any more than it already was. He looked at his surroundings and noticed he was farther from home than he expected. With a short sigh he began the trek back, only to hear sudden gunfire go off in the distance.

"Hm?" Gabriel said as he turned toward the direction of the noise. The gunfire only grew louder with each second that passed by and what peaked his curiosity was that it wasn't the traditional noise of dust rounds that filled his ears. The gunshots he heard were far more aggressive. "Shotguns." He surmised as he reminisced in the sweet, nostalgic sound that he didn't realize he missed so much. With intrigue, he chose to go in the opposite direction of his home.

During the trip towards the sudden, but rapid booms of gunfire, he could also hear outbursts from multiple parties. "Three to four girls." he said. Gabriel rose an eyebrow at the new voice that cracked throughout the entirety of the Forever Fall and a chill ran down him as he remembered the countless voices that plagued his entire being who sounded just like that.

He almost lost track of where he was going due to the sudden gasp he made at the scenery before him. He had forgotten about the God forsaken place that his eyes laid upon. The enormous pit of tar contrasted horribly with the crimson grass that outlined it. For a moment, he believed that he had forgotten this place. Gabriel could see a thirty-foot cliffside that resided at the opposite end of where he was. This place nearly mesmerized him before he realized that the screams he heard were closer than he expected. He took cover by a nearby tree and noticed that the screams ceased at the top of the cliff.

"What the?" Gabriel asked as he looked behind his cover and saw something that genuinely sparked confusion within his being. A kid was face down as he looked down with one arm hanging off the cliffside. Blood caked his blonde hair and his sapphire eyes were filled with fear. The same fear he witnessed when he attacked the White Fang. That fear was laced with confusion as Gabriel could see the kid's rapid breathing. Before he could do anything more, Gabriel saw the boy be turned upward, towards his assailants.

"Huntresses?" he asked himself as he witnessed one of them punch the kid in the face. "Probably students if that rage is anything to go off of." Gabriel winced slightly as the blonde brawler slammed her fist once more into the kid. He looked to the others could barely make out what they looked like. The only things that stood out to him was that one of them had scarlet hair, and even from where he was, he could there was a conflict building up within her being.

Before the blonde huntress could lay down another barrage of punches on the poor bastard, the sound of one of them broke through and caused her to stop. Gabriel could see that the redhead who was using her scroll break into a panic.

"We have to go back! Ren and Nora are being overwhelmed!"

"What do we do with him?" he couldn't see where the other voice came from, but nevertheless, the conversation interested the old man.

"We have to leave him." the redhead said. Gabriel could hear her voice quiver a bit.

"What if he escapes?" Gabriel felt a sense of dread in the air as he looked to the blonde huntress and noticed her narrow eyes were filled with malicious intent.

"He won't." the blonde brawler said as a cocking noised could be heard throughout the area.

* **CRACK!***

 **"** AAAAAGGGGGHH!" the kid's pierced the silence and was filled with untold agony and anguish.

 ***CRACK!***

"GAAAAAHHHH!" the kid let out another scream as his other leg was shattered. Gabriel looked away as he heard the noise of the kid's legs being smashed. What sent a shiver through him was the chocked sob that followed soon after.

"YANG!" the redhead screeched which confused Gabriel to an extent. He could from where he was that there were tears in her eyes and she was inches away from her weapons

"He won't be going anywhere now." the one known now to Gabriel as Yang said.

"It doesn't matter," one of the calmer voices said. "As you said, Ren and Nora need help. We need to go." Gabriel could see that the red and bronze themed girl was being torn apart as she looked at the kids gasping form. He wondered why tears fell from her face as she turned her back to the blonde huntsman.

Gabriel stayed where he was for another five minutes. The only noises to occupy his ears were the soft gasps that came from the kid. Every once and a while he would hear a choked cry come from him and it was in those moments where he debated whether to investigate. With a breath, he was about to go up to the kid, but was stopped by the sudden rustles that came from above him. He decided to lie in wait before he made any moves.

"Quite the tragedy isn't it?" Gabriel could feel his cells flare at the despicable voice that he hadn't heard in six months. He peeked around the tree he hid behind and looked up to only confirm his suspicions.

"What is she doing?" he asked himself as he saw Cinder stand over the kids form. That smirk of hers never left her face. Her peons were there as well, along with another girl he had never seen though wouldn't forget due to her Neopolitan color scheme. The original three he had met before all had something to say to the kid, but he could barely make it out. He decided to get closer as he drifted out of his cover and towards the cliff.

"You know what the best part is?" Gabriel could hear Cinder ask to the blonde kid's gasping form. "No one will remember you." Gabriel had to hold himself back as Cinder kicked the kid's limp form into the pit below. Gabriel could see that the fear was only growing as the blonde's broken form plummeted to the tar. There was no splash as he plunged head first into the death that awaited him.

"Oum almighty." Gabriel whispered as he could feel the smoke swirl at a steady pace. He remembered far too well how that felt.

"Let's go." He heard Cinder say as she turned her back to the cliff. Once he couldn't hear their footsteps, he decided to appear form out of his cover and head towards the edge of the pit. There was stillness that almost disturbed the older man, yet he remained stoic.

"Don't really know what to say." Gabriel said as he looked at his reflection in the pit. His withered, tan skin drooped slightly as grey fringes were along the outlines of his mustache and stubble. His eyes held sympathy towards the boy he never knew who died the second he touched the volatile substance that bubbled slightly.

"Wait, what?" Gabriel said out loud as he noticed that the bubbles that came from the tar were coming at a consistent pace. The tar swished slightly until it almost swirled at an intense speed. Before Gabriel could say or do anything, he saw a hand erupt from the edge of the pit, only a few feet from where he was.

"Holy shit!" Gabriel exclaimed as he rushed to the hand that was clawing at the dirt. Gabriel's smoke brimmed slightly as he touched the kid's hand along with the tar that remained insistent on keeping the kid within its murky form. Gabriel gritted his teeth as he ignored it as he heaved the rest of him out from the pit. Coughing could be heard from the kid as Gabriel let out a few tired breaths. He looked over to the blonde and guessed he had to be a huntsman or a student in the middle of becoming one due to the slightly dissolved armor and the peculiar sword that still clung to his side. Despite the tar that dissolved most of his clothes and armor, the sword remained pristine given the condition

"Why are there huntsmen all the way out here?" Gabriel asked to himself as he tried to catch his breath. He closed his eyes and thought about everything that had happened. "What the fuck is going on?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGH!" Gabriel's eyes shot open as the blonde erupted from his still form and belted out a scream laced in agony. Gabriel knew that the noise would only attract the unwanted kind of attention and decided to silence the kid's screaming.

"Kid!" Gabriel started as he tore off a piece of his jacket. "Kid! Dammit you gotta quiet down!" Gabriel took the rag and tried to place it in the screaming blonde's mouth, only for his cheeks to dissipate into smoke. Gabriel's eyes widened to almost inhuman lengths as he witnessed this.

"PYRRHA!" the kid screamed through his damaged mouth as the smoke around him began to escalate. "PYRRHA!" the smoke soon engulfed the blonde along with his screams and after a few moments, the smoke cleared, leaving an unconscious, half naked kid at Gabriel's feet.

"What the fuck?" Gabriel said as he noticed that the kid began to degenerate, only for the smoke to appear once more to restore his former appearance. It had been twenty-seven years since Gabriel was left speechless, and being a witness to this kid was the moment to break that record.

#

It took him longer than expected to get back to his damaged home, but it didn't stop him from making his way past his cabin to a metal hatch he had hidden amongst the flora. He set the blonde down to the side for a few moments before he opened the iron hatch. It took him another five minutes to set him down on one of the spare beds he had in his emergency safehouse and another three to find the scroll he had stashed away. Once he found what he was looking for along with the contact he needed, he pressed the call button without hesitation as he knew he would need help for what came next.

"Hello?" he smiled slightly to himself as he heard the familiar voice that came through his scroll.

"Moira, It's Gabe." Gabriel could hear nothing as he waited for a response, he removed the scroll form his ear in order to check if the call had ended. When he put it back to his ear, he only greeted with more silence.

"What do you want?" the sudden but somewhat aggressive voice of his old friend broke through the static which caused Gabriel to chuckle.

"Can't an old friend say hi?" he asked, though he knew that wherever she was, she was giving him a blank stare. "I need to cash in on that favor you owe me." he said soon after.

"I'm preoccupied at the moment," Moira said and Gabriel rolled his eyes. He put the scroll on speaker and accessed the camera feature as he made his way over to the kid he picked up in the forest. "That and I am at a key point in my research. You would be surprised with the potential benefits that Grimm have towards humanity." once Gabriel finished recording the boy's lying form, he downloaded the video and sent it to his colleague with a smirk on his face. "What's this you sent me Gabriel?" she soon asked with suspicion and he let out a short laugh.

"Another property of Grimm to add to the list." he replied. The silence returned as he knew she was watching the video he sent her.

"Where did you get this." she asked with a hint of urgency.

"Just filmed it in my safehouse." he said as he looked back to the kid. "Found him climbing out of one of the pools in the Forever Fall. Decided I should consult you considering your experience." He said which only resulted in another fit of silence. "Moira? He asked, wondering if she had hung up on him.

"Give me two days." she told him. "Considering you are calling me on this number, I'd assume you don't want anyone else to know about this?"

"That's right." he said as his grin never left his face.

"I will also need the right equipment. I assume you have connections to make it so?" she asked.

"Of course. Will take about the same amount of time."

"Good. Same spot as before?"

"You know it."

"Very well." Moira finished. "See you then Gabriel." She hung up the moment he put his scroll down on a nearby table and in those moments, he decided to sit down in a nearby chair which was next to the bed the kid was laying in. Gabriel noticed that his breathing was normal, but a look of discomfort would come every time the smoke came to regenerate his drooped cells.

"Glad I found you kid." Gabriel said as he continued to stare at the blonde. He was caught off guard as the kid began to sputter, though still unconscious.

"P…rha." the blonde said. "Pyrrha." Gabriel raised an eyebrow at this name. He assumed it was one of the people that attacked him at the top of the cliff. Gabriel's eyebrow remained raised as a look of anger overcame the blonde's unconscious form and a growl escaped his lips. "I'll kill you."

 **Wow. That was an experience. This was a fun chapter to write considering the changes that I have made. I know that everything seems a little up in the air at the moment, but everything will fit into place. I will do my damndest to make it so. I want to thank JC of the Corn who helped me out and gave his two cents on the story and I want to thank you all who have stuck with me and have been patient. I hope to make more of this soon. Until next time, drop a comment, review, critique, or PM me if you have any questions. In the meantime (God I've missed saying this) BE FIERCE!**

 **SPARKYDAPPER DAB SIGNING OFF!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well here it is. The second Chapter of the reboot. Author's note will be at the end to explain what has been happening. I don't own RWBY or Overwatch, they belong to their respective owners. ENJOY!**

Prologue part 2:

The Day After

 ** _"_** ** _What are you doing?!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _MONSTER!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _RUBY WAIT!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _WHAT DID YOU DO?!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _AAAAAAAAGGGGH!"_**

Jaune eyes shot open as he took a deep inhale. He had no idea what dream he had, but despite the voices that practically came from all around him, he couldn't see a thing. Now that he thought about it, his vision was a lot blurrier since the last time he opened his eyes.

'Where am I?' he thought as he looked down at his hands. He was shocked to say the least as he found himself floating in a tube of sorts and couldn't tell if he was floating in water or not. While his body was scarred, especially around his kneecaps, his muscles looked to be more toned since the last he checked. He wasn't ripped at all, but definitely toned.

"Any updates doc?" Jaune could barely hear from behind the glass tube he was in. The sudden voice got his attention though as it sounded oddly familiar.

"Nothing at the moment," another voice that Jaune didn't know spoke up. The voice belonged to a woman, but her tone was deeper than any other woman he had met. "Though he is stabilized for now. Besides what I already told you about his accelerated healing, there haven't been any new findings."

"Hopefully something happens soon," the masculine voice replied. Jaune lifted his head slowly to see where the voice was coming from. He could barely make it out through his blurry vision, but there were two people in the room he was in. One man and one woman. Besides the woman's orange hair, there wasn't anything else he could make out. "Had to pull a lot of strings to get this equipment here."

"At least you didn't have to abandon your former employers by releasing one of their prized test subjects." the woman replied. "I still have bruises from the fight with Hazel."

"You think you have it rough?" Jaune shifted his eyes toward the man. "I owe Akande and Olivia favors now. You know how it is with those two."

"Unfortunately, I do know. You have my sympath-!" Jaune noticed that the woman was looking right at him and his breath hitched. "He's awake." those two words ended the conversation and the man was looking at him in an instant.

"Hey kid?" the man said as he waved his hand up and down to get Jaune's attention. The blonde knight fixated his gaze on the blurry outline. "Can you hear me?" Jaune could barely make out what he was saying as he shrugged his shoulders. "Drain the tube, Moira."

With a few pushed buttons on her console, the water began to drain around Jaune. Once the knight could feel his feet touch the metal grate beneath him, his legs buckled forward and he pressed his hands against the glass. A few seconds passed as Jaune tried to focus on his breathing and before he knew it, the door to the tube opened and the orange haired woman pressed him against the back wall of the tube.

"I just need to remove these." the woman known as Moira said as she removed the patches off Jaune's chest. He looked up to whoever she was when she removed his mask and was surprised to see a woman about his height with different colored eyes that were both blue and brown. She wore a lab coat and white pants along with a metal plate around her right eye. "C'mon," the doctor said as she put Jaunes right arm over her shoulder, "Let's get you to a better area."

Jaune faded in an out of consciousness as he felt his feet drag along the icy floor. After a few seconds, he would feel a chill cover his whole body which made him clench his teeth in shock. He couldn't tell how far he had gone, but before he knew it, he was resting in what he would guess was a hospital cot.

He turned his head to the right to see that the two strangers were looking over him. Jaune discovered in those moments who the other person was. His built form deceived from his aged face and somewhat gray mustache and beard combo. He wore a black hoodie and black cargo pants while his arms were folded. Even in Jaune's dazed state he had to look away from the stern gaze that was aimed at him.

"I'm surprised it hasn't kicked in yet." the man said as he looked to the orange haired doctor, who didn't look surprised at all.

"Give it a minute, Gabriel." she said. "Believe me, it will come." she folded her arms as well and the two waited in silence. The confusion in Jaune peaked and with the remaining strength he had, he sat up with a soft groan.

"What are you two ta-!" Jaune's body completely seized as he jerked forward. He couldn't say anything as a pain he had never felt before began to creep up from the base of his spine and spread throughout his body. He couldn't tell if he was boiling alive or being consumed in liquid nitrogen. The pain only grew with each second and he could barely utter a word. Small cracks in his voice were the only noises to escape his mouth and his hands trembled violently. Jaune's eyes widened as he saw the skin on his fingers slowly disintegrated to reveal muscles and eventually bone. His breathing grew heavy as he remained focused on what was happening to not just his fingers, but his arms and legs as well.

"AAAAAAAGH!" Jaune screamed out of pain and fear as he tossed himself out of the bed. He scrambled to his feet and bolted out of the room the two strangers were in. With a turn of his heel, he made a sharp right and bolted down the dark hallway ahead of him.

"Slippery bastard!" Jaune could hear from behind him as he continued to sprint down the hall. There were a few tight turns, but eventually he made his way to a ladder that revealed a hatch in the ceiling. Jaune didn't care where he went, he just needed to get away from the pain. The blonde sprinted toward the ladder and as he jumped to get some extra speed, he felt his whole body flare up and the feeling of being disintegrated atom by atom invaded his nervous system. He tried to scream, but the darkness began to consume him as he believed to lose consciousness.

With a deep gasp of oxygen, Jaune opened his eyes and felt the intense light of the sun bathe him in warmth. He pressed his fingers into the dirt as he got up with a few heavy breaths and began to look around him to see where the hell he was.

"Kid!" the voice that belonged to the man called out and Jaune turned around to see that he had made his way out of a hatch. "Just stop and listen Goddammit!" Jaune looked around his surroundings and noticed the crimson leaves in an instant. The massive trunks that plagued the tree line and the amber sunlight all invaded Jaune's memory, leaving him with his answer: The Forever Fall.

"What's happening?!" Jaune screamed at the man who was slowly making his way to him. "Why am I here?! Who are you?! WHY AM I LIKE THIS?!"

"The name's Reyes." the man said as he put his hands up to show he wasn't a threat. "As to your condition, that's still up in the air." Jaune was about to say something else until that same familiar pain erupted from within his chest. The blonde knight didn't even have the privilege of screaming as he let out a pained gasp and collapsed to his knees. He felt as if his whole body was drained of any strength as he fell forward towards the dirt.

His descent stopped halfway though as he felt the tough arms of Reyes catch him before he fell. There was no comment from either of them as the stranger lifted Jaune to his feet and began to take him away from the hatch they made their way out of.

"Don't worry kid," Reyes said as Jaune slowly looked up to see that Reyes had a slight smirk on his face. "I got you." Before Jaune could say anything, his eyes felt heavy and he drifted back into sleep.

"Is he alright?" Reyes heard Moira call out from behind him as she caught up and put Jaune's other arm underneath her shoulder.

"Just passed out again." Reyes said with a slight grumble as the three of them made their way to his cabin that was only a few yards away. "Not surprised. It was like this last I remember." his remark earned an eyeroll from Moira.

"Yes. I remember very well. So, does my destroyed equipment and injured staff at the time." Reyes chuckled at her flat expression as the two made it into his semi-destroyed homed and laid the boy down on a nearby comforter. "Hopefully it won't take him as long to wake up. I was surprised when he phased right through us when he bolted for the door." Reyes scratched the back of his head when he heard Moira's observation.

"Kid was acting on instinct. It's not unusual. Although, that was a trick I picked up a little later. Color me jealous."

"Well you and your jealousy can wait here until he wakes up again." Moira said as she headed back to the hatch. "I need to go over what just happened in my lab. And the test results on his unstable cellular makeup just finished." Reyes grumbled a bit but remained seated next to the boy's sleeping form. Once Moira was out of his sights, he looked to the blonde's face and noticed the slight contortion he gradually showed. It almost looked as if he was angry.

"Huh." Reyes said as he looked back at his hand which had wisps of smoke dancing at his fingertips. "Wonder what's on his mind."

"Pyrrha." Reyes raised an eyebrow at the mumbled name that escaped the boy's mouth. "Pyrrha." the old man sighed in response as he looked up at his damaged cabin. Holes of numerous sizes decorated the walls and ceiling. Some of the beams were damaged but the supports were still intact. It would take some time, but he would eventually rebuild. Although his age would only make it harder for him and he knew it would only be a matter of time before he would be completely reliant on the smoke that fueled him.

"Son of a bitch." Reyes said to himself as he snatched the smoke from his fingertips. He rested his forearms on his kneecaps and let out another grumble. He hoped that the kid would just wake up soon so they could figure out what was going on.

#

 ** _"_** ** _Gotta keep moving! Gotta keep moving!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _There he is!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _Pyrrha! Please stop!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _No one will remember you."_**

 ****Jaune's eyes opened once more as his breath hitched slightly. He remained silent as he pressed his hands against the splintered floorboards and wondered what the hell just happened. he pressed his hand to his forehead as he felt a throbbing ache emit from his dome. The blonde knight grumbled as he came to his senses and realized he wasn't at Beacon, or anywhere he knew to be exact. What he did realize was that the cabin he was in was almost completely destroyed

"Where am I" Jaune whispered to no one in particular as he scratched his head, only for a sharp sting to pierce his neck. The blonde winced at the sudden pain and as he pulled his arm back to see if he had done anything to cause it, he saw with wide eyes that his fingers looked to be disintegrating into black smoke.

"What?" Jaune said in between heavy breaths as he felt as if his fingers were being pricked by sharp needles. "What the fuck?!" he said with a sharp whisper. Before he could react even further, the smoke receded back to his fingers where the bone that was showing became layered once more with his flesh.

"I think I'm gonna puke." Jaune said as he got to his feet and noticed that it wasn't just his fingers going through this process, but his entire body. It felt like if someone decided he would be their test subject for the most painful acupuncture in Remnant. Walking was a trial in of in itself and Jaune gritted his teeth with each step.

 ***BANG BANG!***

Despite the pain that ignited in his neck, Jaune darted his head to the doorframe where the heavy banging came from and he felt his body freeze up as the knocking became more frequent. Despite the urgency in the knocking, He slowly made his way out of the damaged room he was in and made his way to an even more damaged living room. Jaune was surprised that there was nothing that made this cabin a home. He made his way to the door frame and as he was about to face the visitors, he stopped cold in his tracks.

"Guys, I think this was a massive waste of time." Jaune's heart stopped as he heard the obnoxious tone of a voice he knew too well. Her voice was soothing when he heard it during her concerts, but now, with all the memories that flooded back to him, that voice was the last thing he wanted to hear. It was the voice of Weiss Schnee, the same person that tried to kill him multiple times the night before.

"Well we need to try. I don't know how he was able to get up from what I did to him, but the bugger is out here." Jaune's hands balled up into fists as he heard another voice accompany the royal bitch. The same voice that destroyed his knees. He slowly backed away and prayed none of the boards would creak. Thankfully, his prayers were answered and Jaune was able to crouch and hide in a better position. He peeked through one of the bullet holes that riddled the cabin and could see Weiss and Yang waiting impatiently for a response. "How he was able to walk away from that, I will never know." at least he and Yang could agree on something.

"He did have a lot of aura," Jaune's eyes darted to another voice that belonged to a certain faunus. His blood boiled as she stretched in the morning glow. "But what he went through before you did that to him, I'm just as surprised as you are." Jaune said nothing as he continued to look at the three huntresses in training. He recalled everything that happened, Weiss's attempts of stabbing him, Blake barely getting away with strangling him with her ribbon, Yang breaking his legs, and the last person that made his blood boil more than ever.

"Can we please not bring that up?" Jaune's rage peaked with the last voice that he knew the best out of all of them. He couldn't see her, but he could recall her voice from anywhere. The voice which comforted him at his lowest point, the voice he needed to defend him against the ridicule he faced at Beacon, and the voice that dripped with cruelty when she kicked him off the cliff into the tar. "I'd rather not think about what happened."

"Well we did what we had to do. After what he did to Ruby…" Jaune's smoke began to swirl around his arms as Weiss spoke up. He knew what she meant and it only made him stand taller. There was no way they could see him yet, but they would in moments. He would make sure of that.

"I got word from Ozpin," Yang said, "She's stable, but it was touch and go for a few hours." Jaune couldn't help but feel a bit of relief as he heard the brawler inform her friends. "Anyway, I think this place is a bust, we need to move."

"You sure we shouldn't go in and see further?" Pyrrha asked as Jaune inched back to the doorframe. The smoke grew a bit more frantic with each inch towards her and as Jaune looked down to check his footing, he noticed his reflection in one of the mirror shards that were littered across the floor. the same effect that happened to his fingers applied to his face as well as he watched his left cheek droop into muscle and eventually bone, only for his face to reform after a few seconds. The one thing that stayed consistent and terrified him for a few moments were his eyes. They were redder than Yang's and the smoked that dissipated from his eyelids only added to the fear. The same fear he was about to unleash onto the people that did this to him.

Before he could take the last step in order to he needed to strangle the red-haired bitch, he felt himself being pulled back a few feet. He darted his head to the cause of his prevented vengeance and noticed the man from before, pulling him back with a finger over his lips. Jaune wanted to protest, but as his anger died down slightly, the pain came back in droves and Jaune collapsed to his knees. The blonde knight looked up to see that the man made his way over to the threshold of the door.

"I'm sorry," the man Jaune recalled as Reyes said to the four girls who waited at his front porch. "I was cleaning up in the back and didn't hear you."

"Oh!" Pyrrha said out of surprise as Jaune saw her jump a bit. "That's alright."

"Can I help you girls with something?" Reyes asked politely as possible and Jaune noticed that Weiss stepped forward.

"Have you seen anyone around here lately?" the heiress asked. "We are looking for a potential threat." Jaune mentally grumbled at her comment while he winced at the pain that crept up his back.

"Can't say I have," Jaune heard Reyes reply. "Though there was some commotion last night."

"You sure it wasn't this place?" Blake spoke up and Jaune saw through one of the holes that she was examining the status of the cabin. The blonde made sure to stay hidden after he realized that. "Looks like a full out invasion happened here."

"Just a bandit raid," Reyes said with some distain. "They came and went not to long ago if that's what you're looking for."

"Sorry Gramps," Yang said as she put her hands on her hips. "But were looking for one person. Tall, blonde, scraggly, and psychotic." Jaune had enough when he heard the brawler say those words. He stormed towards the door as he ignored the pain that ignited within him.

Before he could confront his literal demons, a stream of smoke held him back. It wrapped around his body and kept him where he was. Jaune silently struggled to break free but the smoke wrapped around him like a vice. He didn't know the source of his restraints, but the smoke spilled out from the floor beneath Jaune and the blonde knight noticed red tints that decorated the outline of his restraints.

"Can't say I have blondie." Reyes said as he rubbed his chin.

"Can you please keep an eye out for him?" Reyes looked to the redhead for a moment and noticed something familiar in her eyes. There was a sadness to her that he had only seen a few times before in his life and if there was one thing Reyes could never get away from, it was the past.

"Sure." Reyes replied. "Anyways, I should get back to fixing up the place."

"Wait a second," Yang said and Reyes froze. Jaune could see through the various holes that there was suspicion in his former friend. She eyed the house for a few moments before she opened her mouth.

"Yang, we need to go." Blake said before Yang could push further. "We aren't even supposed to be out here." with that reminder, Yang's conviction faltered and she nodded her head. Jaune felt the seconds go by as he saw his murderers walk away dissatisfied.

"Nearly got yourself killed there, kid." Reyes said as he entered the damaged cabin and put his hands on his hips. "It would have taken longer, but you would have been killed once they got their hands on you." Reyes smirked at Jaune who only glared in response. "What's your name?" there were a few seconds of silence before the blonde knight let out a sigh.

"Jaune." he said. "Jaune Arc."

"Arc, huh." Reyes said as he shrugged his shoulders. "At least I have a name now." Reyes walked across the living room and leaned against the far wall. "Friends of yours?" Reyes asked as he gestured to the threshold of the front door.

"No." Jaune growled.

"Really?" Reyes raised an eyebrow. "I mean the blonde bimbo and the white-haired brat I could see you not liking, but the red head seemed worried about you." Jaune snapped at that point and pointed to his deforming face.

"THAT BITCH WAS THE ONE THAT DID THIS TO ME!" Jaune screamed.

"Tone down the edginess," Reyes replied as he folded his arms. "You sure it was her?"

"Yes." Jaune muttered as his voice grew low.

Reyes stood there as he pondered everything that had happened up until now. Either Jaune was lying, or insane. That girl didn't kick him into the pit, Cinder did. Even if that redhead wanted to, he could tell she didn't have the heart or stomach to do so. The others definitely did, but she was the only outlier, so why was he so convinced it was her and not Cinder?

'Culprit or not, she's a major threat.' Reyes thought to himself as he let out a breath of frustration.

"Alright," Reyes said as he believed Jaune. "Well what do you plan to do? You know you can't take her on." Reyes continued as he had a slight smirk on his face. Jaune raised an eyebrow at him and pointed at the older man's chest.

"That smoke that was holding me back," Jaune said in deep thought. "That was you wasn't it?" Reyes replied with his hands up.

"You got me." Reyes replied. "So, when I say I understand what your feeling, know it really do." Jaune's eyes slightly widened as he saw the same type of smoke emit from Reyes. "I could tell you the specifics," Reyes continued as he walked toward Jaune, "But I'm going to need some help in return." Reyes held his hand out for Jaune to take, and while there was a tension that hung between them, Reyes smirked as he and Jaune realized the blonde had no other options.

"Fine." Jaune grumbled as Reyes eyed his golden opportunity.

 **Alright. Well that was the finished prologue, now we can get into the good stuff. Anyways I hope you all enjoyed this and I thank you all for being so patient with me. I won't complain to you all about my personal life, but I will say 2018 has been difficult in many ways. Nevertheless, I'm not the only one in the world going through problems and I promise I will continue writing this story.**

 **Before I end this note, I will say that this reboot will take a little time to iron out in order to retain the same passion and reasoning that the first story had, but have enough of it be different so it isn't predictable. That has been the challenge so far, but it is coming along well.**

 **Anyways, like, comment, review, or PM me if you have any questions. And remember, BE COMPASSIONATE AND BE FIERCE!**

 **SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 SIGNING OFF!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Huh. Takes me back to when I would binge write. Nevertheless, I don't own RWBY or Overwatch, they belong to their respective owners. ENJOY!**

Chapter 1

No Turning Back

The shattered moon that resided in the night sky did it's best to illuminate the emerald forest. While the surrounding flora and nocturnal fauna could be seen through the gaps within the branches, the remaining areas of the forest were left for only the darkness to know what resided there. Within the pitch black however, was a campfire that danced dimly in the cool autumn breeze. Four teenagers surrounded it with a bit of desperation as they were not used to the brisk winds that came with the Vale autumn.

"I mean I know nights in Vaccuo can be cold, but Oum almighty can the wind stop blowing for two seconds?!" Jasper Underly said as he rubbed his hands together in order to keep warm. His thin Vaccuoan garbs didn't help him in the slightest.

"You wouldn't last a day in Atlas, man." his partner, Zelda mentioned as she held her sitting form tightly while she shivered a bit in the breeze. "I'm surprised our leader is even capable out in the woods at night. Not tearing his silk pants." she grew a small smile as she verbally jabbed at her leader, which made their teammates chuckle.

"Even for an overnight extermination mission, it seems it's too much for our trusty medic." Yarshan Argene said as he let out a short bellow of laughter. He noticed the glare he received from his leader and put his hands up in a sarcastic manner. "Oh! There he goes with the glare again!" the bronze armored tank of their team reached for his great sword and planted it at his feet. "What you gonna do man? Pull an Arc on me?" this earned the warrior a smack upside his head from his partner, Zoe Decaunt.

"Don't even joke about that, asshat." the crossbow wielder said as she came back from grabbing a bit of firewood from their small pile. While she wore regular combat garbs, her arms and face were painted in a mismatched combination of camouflage along with twigs and leaves in her hair. Yarshan still had a smile on his face, but realized he made the mood a bit uncomfortable.

"What? Isn't that something all leaders go through?" Yarshan only received glares from each of his teammates. He shrugged at this and gave a smug smirk. "One year is still too soon? It's not like Ruby is here to listen in."

"She would slice your legs off if she heard you say that." Zelda said as she gripped her brown cargo pants at the kneecaps and allowed her flannel under her combat vest blow gently in the breeze. "Remember what she did to some of the first years a few weeks after their initiation when they started trash talking him?" the four of them shuddered at the memory. It was the talk of the school for weeks and none of them knew how those students ended up in the infirmary for a month after that incident, even with their aura to help them.

"Well the bastard didn't belong here. Whether she likes it or not, that is the truth of the matter." Jasper said as he shivered in his spot.

"Well the truth didn't stop him when he saw the upper classmen harass his team." Zoe informed and another dreadful memory entered all of their minds. That day in the library was wwhen the term 'pulling an Arc' gained its dreadful headwind.

"Guys, it's getting late." Zelda said as she grabbed her two dust daggers. "As much as I would love to talk about that dead psychopath, I need to go freshen up and get some sleep, which I recommend all of you do as well."

"Aw c'mon." Yarshan said as he put his hands up in playful protest. "We were just getting to the good stuff!" as Yarshan protested, Jasper stood up as well and folded his arms.

"Zelda is right," Jasper said as he looked to his partner. "Yarshan, douse the fire. Zoe, go with Zelda." there were precursors of protest in the markswoman's eyes but Jasper gave her look that he was having none of it. She let out a grumble as she hoisted her crossbow over her shoulder and walked with Zoe into the forest.

"Y'know," Yarshan said with a sneer as he grabbed the pale of water they got from the nearby stream, "Say what you want about Arc, he had leadership in spades."

"That supposed to mean something?" Jasper growled as he looked away from his sleeping bag to see Yarshan about to douse the flames. The armored juggernaut smirked with indignance as he grasped the pale.

"Well you saw his team in action, as professional as they are in the field, they weren't anywhere near as good as when they had him." Yarshan grumbled as he looked towards the direction of his partner and other teammate before looking back at his leader. "Kinda makes you look like a shitty dad in comparison." Jasper snapped at that last comment as he knew Yarshan was referring to the leader's family issues.

"You piece of shi-!" Jasper wasn't able to finish his sentence as Yarshan doused the flames. In the sudden moments of pitch darkness, Jasper was able to see two crimson orbs behind Yarshan's left shoulder. The leader was about to question what the hell he just saw, but suddenly heard the distinct sound of a gun being cocked.

 ***BLAM!***

"OUM ALMIGHTY! YARSHAN!" Jasper screamed as the gunshot echoed and disturbed the forest all around them. A split second passed until the leader felt warmth all over his body. He didn't need to guess what covered him as he got up to his feet. He grabbed his flashlight from his back pocket and flashed it in Yarshan's direction. Jasper gasped as he saw his teammate with an eviscerated head. His lower mandible was all that was left attached to him and his mangled form along the dirt only seared the memory more into Jasper's brain.

Jasper was left speechless as there was no way that was possible. Yarshan could die from a clean shot through the head, but his aura was thicker than most. How could have one shot clean through a person's cranium like that, even with aura?

His thoughts were cut short as Jasper caught a glimpse of those red eyes once more as they shrunk back into the darkness. Silence enveloped Jasper's ears to an ungodly volume and as sweat trickled through his short brown hair, he realized why he was still alive, there were two other targets that his assailant could find and they weren't far away.

"SHIT!" Jasper screamed as he took off in his team's direction. He didn't care about the blood, bone, and brain that stuck to him, he couldn't care about Yarshan's corpse, and he disregarded his wellbeing in order to save his team. Something he would soon wholeheartedly regret.

 ***BLAM!***

Another gunshot blasted from behind him and Jasper could feel his aura shatter with no resistance. A choked scream escaped his mouth as he fell to his knees, all while feeling his left arm be torn from his body.

"AAAAGH!" Jasper let out as soon as he found his voice. The red, splintered, and mushed stump on his left shoulder ignited into a universe of pain he had never felt before this moment. Despite his body begging him to stay still, Jasper gritted his teeth as he rolled over to his back and began to scoot backward in order to see his surroundings. There was nothing but a trail of a smoking barrel that led into the tree line to his left. He squeezed his eyes shut as the pain came back in droves and he could feel his tears mix with Yarshan's blood which was splashed onto his face.

"ZELDA!" Jasper screamed into the void behind him with cracked desperation. "ZOE! GET OUT OF HERE! RUN!" he ended his warning with a few heavy breaths as he wrapped his hand around the edges of his destroyed shoulder. He turned back to see what was in front of him, but all he could see was the faint outline of a person standing over him. Jasper looked up from the feet he was staring at and saw the epitome of fear.

The figure before him was clad in black. The armor he wore included a tactical vest with padding over his legs. His outline was jagged around his forearms and his shoulders were pointed. Two shotguns rested at his side as his bone mask was staring into Jasper's very being. Two crimson orbs could be seen through the eye slits in his mask and they were the same ones he saw when Yarshan put out the fire. Jasper's jaw quivered in fear as his petrified body refused to back away and all the figure do was take a few steps toward the injured huntsman in training. As the figure circled around Jasper, he could see his assailant crouch down next to his head. Jasper only hitched his breath as he turned away from whoever this monster was. His efforts were futile as he felt the cold metal of the claws on the monster's fingers pull him into his gaze. As Jasper stared at the thing in front of him, he could tell from such a close distance that his silhouette was somewhat smoking and that he looked as if he was examining him.

"Leader." was all the thing said as he got up from his crouched form and brandished the two shotguns that took Jasper's arm and Yarshan's life. What followed was the most twisted chuckle which crept around one of Jasper's shoulders and into his ear with a chilling intent. Jasper's eyes widened as to what the raspy voice had meant, and he turned back with tears flooding down his cheeks.

"NOT THEM!" Jasper screamed as he begged to his eventual murderer. "PLEASE!" he reached out and clawed the dirt with his remaining hand. As he reached his arm out, he could feel his eyelids grow heavy. With whatever strength he had left, he reached back for his wound and did his best to stop the bleeding. Once he got his priorities straight, he looked back up to the attacker whose head was slightly cocked to the side.

"YOU MONSTER!" Jasper heard Zelda scream with rage. Jasper could see his partner appear from behind the murderer with her dust daggers at the ready. The masked man spun on his heel and was met with the blunt end of one of her daggers' hilts. A sharp grunt escaped him as he stumbled back and dug his combat boots into the dirt. What followed was a flaming arrow that pierced the darkness and headed towards the masked man's face. As Jasper tried to get to his feet, he saw the arrow break through the man's mask and puncture his forehead. There was no time for celebration as smoke swirled around the man's face and to Jasper's horror, the arrow phased right through him and hit a nearby tree trunk.

There was no time to realize what would happen next as Zelda let out another war cry and slashed at the murderer. As the man dodged and ducked under her daggers, Jasper could see Zoe enter his line of sight. Unfortunately, she didn't notice his laying form as she herself joined in on the battle with a rage to match. Jasper watched in terror as he laid there helplessly while his friends fought for their lives. Zelda would go for low blows while Zoe used the bayonet at the end of her crossbow to pierce his chest. It didn't matter as the man dodged and phased through the majority of their combos and decided with a swift growl that he would end their squabble quickly.

"Die, you basta-!" Zoe tried to roar as she charged with the butt of crossbow, but was cut short when the man dodged to the side and let her attack hit nothing but the air. He drew one of his shotguns and without hesitation, opened fire at her back which left nothing but a gaping hole where her lungs and heart would be. There was no dramatic fall as her body collapsed with such a sudden nature, it froze Zelda and Jasper solid.

"ZOE!" Zelda screamed with horror as she rushed to her deceased friend. Jasper tried to call out to her in order to stop, but he was too late as the man took advantage of Zelda's distracted mindset as he grabbed her by the shoulder and landed a left cross on her face. She let out a cry of sharp pain, but was cut short again as the man used his other hand to grasp her throat. There were only a few short seconds of protest before a gurgled scream could be heard from Zelda as Jasper witnessed the man rip out her trachea with his bare hands.

"No." Jasper whispered. All he could do was lay there helplessly. "No, no, no, no." his jaw quivered as the one responsible for the death of his team walked back to him and this time put both his cold hands on both sides of Jasper's cheeks. There were no words from the man, just mirth as he reeled his clawed thumbs back above Jasper's wide eyes.

"EEEEYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHH!" Jasper screamed as the thumbs drove through his eyes and into his skull. In those blinding moments of pain there was a feeling of something infiltrating his being. He couldn't tell if blood was oozing from his mouth or something else that felt like the gentle tickle of smoke. He couldn't care anymore as the pain engulfed him as well as the darkness, and the last thing he felt, was the feeling of his skull being torn apart.

 ***CRACK***

The masked man grew still as he held both halves of the student's head in each hand. A few breaths escaped out of his mask as he did his best to not heave at what he did. There were no more screams, no more blood, and no one else to deal with. One final breath escaped his dissipating lips and he looked up at the shattered moon for only a few moments.

"No going back." the masked man said as he got back up to his feet and looked at the corpses in his wake. "Grimm will be here to clean up soon." he said to himself as he heard countless howls in the distance. His gaze lifted from the bodies and far off, he saw a place that made his lips contort into a disturbed smile. The small emerald lights that were a beacon to all of Vale answered what his next move would be. Moving the bodies would be a bitch, but what he had in mind would be worth it.

 **#**

The amber glow of sunrise bathed the Forever Fall in such a red, it blended with the splattered blood that covered the masked man. While the pain prickled at his spine due to the sudden warmth the sun gave off, he reveled in the pleasure of feeling warm every once and a while. He sighed in relief as he traveled over one of the crimson hills and found himself at the edge of the tree line where his temporary home resided.

"About damn time." the masked man said to himself as he trudged through the mud and wet crimson grass. After what he went through and the lengths he went to send his message, it was in his best interest to rest his disintegrating eyes. He looked up to the refurbished cabin and let out a genuine smile, knowing the work he did to make it look so. The polished and painted wood blended well with the surrounding forest, and the red shrubbery atop the roof gave the camouflage he needed, and yet, didn't weigh heavily on the roof.

The man let out a short chuckle as he thought about the time it took to get the damaged home to be the way it was now, but he didn't let it plague his memory as he walked up the refurbished steps and phased through the cracks of the floorboards. Once he reappeared on the inside of the cabin, he felt his shoulders relax along with his eyes. He walked over to the small kitchen and removed his mask from his face and lowered his hood. While he did disintegrate regularly, he couldn't help but look in the mirror and see that not much had changed in over a year. There was no facial hair, the length of his hair hadn't grown further, and his red eyes hadn't changed back to sapphire in a little over a year. This last detail earned a frown on his behalf as he scratched the back of his head.

"That you, Jaune?" Jaune Arc's frown turned into a smirk as he heard the groggy voice of his mentor, Gabriel Reyes.

"Yup." Jaune said as he popped the 'P'. He saw the old man turn the corner into the kitchen with a grey T-shirt and brown cargo pants. His beard and mustache combo had gotten greyer, and the hair on his head receded a bit back. "Anything I can help you with?" the old man's response was a quick chuckle as he shook his head.

"Cleaning the blood off my gear would be the first thing off the list." Jaune nodded as he closed his eyes and picked the mask back up. "And you would have never guessed what Moira found on the dust net today."

"The cure for cancer?" Jaune asked jokingly and Reyes' only response was to fold his arms.

"How about the four corpses that decorated the Beacon courtyard?" Reyes responded and Jaune stopped in his tracks while he tilted his head to the side. "You do realize how stupid that move was. Just to send a me-!"

"It wasn't just that." Jaune interrupted as he removed the armor from his chest and tucked it underneath his left dissipating arm. "There was something else I needed to do as well." Reyes raised an eyebrow at his answer, but knew not to pry any further on the subject.

"You know what this means now?" Reyes asked as he followed Jaune to the back door of the cabin and out to the backyard. Jaune simply nodded as he walked over to the water pump and brought a pale with a sponge in it.

"We had this talk last night, Reyes." Jaune grumbled as he pumped the water into the bucket. The blonde walked around the spicket to see the various chemicals he needed to help him clean off the blood and began to work. "I have everything prepped, safehouses ready if needed, and all your contacts are on my scroll."

"When will you leave?" Reyes asked with a hint of uneasiness to his voice. Jaune stopped his work and looked up to his mentor for a few moments.

"As soon as I'm done cleaning your gear." Jaune responded with a low voice and he continued to wash the blood out. Reyes let out a short chuckle and turned towards the cabin.

"Moira will be in Vale for a few more months before she goes elsewhere for work, so take advantage while you still can." Jaune rolled his eyes as he scrubbed and chuckled a bit.

"Exploiting my colleagues until the very end," Jaune said sarcastically. "Now where have I heard that before?" Jaune couldn't see it, but a small smile curved up Reyes's lips.

"Just be ready to head out soon. No turning back now." Jaune's sarcasm and grin faltered as he heard Reyes' words. He looked at the mask he was cleaning and continued to wash the blood away.

"Yeah." Jaune said as his hands trembled a bit. Out of fear or out of excitement? He couldn't tell the difference anymore.

 **Alright. There is the first official chapter of the story and I hope it was alright. Despite the quick update, it didn't feel as if I was rushing. Hell it brought me back to when I started the first rendition of this story. I promise not to burn out, but I do miss the passion I'm starting to feel again. Okay, enough of that, like, comment, review, or PM me if you would like to and remember, BE COMPASSIONATE AND BE FIERCE!**

 **SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 SIGNING OFF!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own RWBY or Overwatch. They belong to their respective owners.**

Chapter 2

A changed Rose

 **Beacon Academy: Twelve hours before the murders**

She honestly wished she wasn't here. That was the truth of the matter. She thought things would be very different from the way things were, but of course, reality had to come to slap her senseless and leave her cold and alone, just like last time. There was only silence as she sat in the chair that she familiarized herself with along with the receptionist who refused to look at her silver eyes. This wasn't the first time she was here. It was the first time she arrived around sunset, but her first time she sat in her familiar chair was almost a year prior. The times of day were all different, but the reasoning for her presence was always the same. It was the same reason she was scraped, bruised, and bleeding from the corner of her lip. She knew her aura could heal it in no time, but she didn't feel like it.

"The headmaster will see you now Ms. Rose." The receptionist said and Ruby Rose noticed she didn't even look up from her monitor. Ruby gazed at her with a blank expression for a few moments before she nodded and headed toward the elevator.

Once the elevator doors shut in front of her, she let out a breath of frustration and looked down at her form. Her black and red color scheme were the same along with her usual attire, but the person wearing the clothes was a polar opposite in comparison to her first year. Her consistent track record of squabbles amongst the entirety of the student body only reinforced her change.

A few moments of silence transpired before the doors opened once more to reveal the familiar office of Headmaster Ozpin. Even after a year of coming to this place on what felt like a bi-weekly basis, the only change would be the pose Ozpin would have when she saw him.

"Looking out the window dramatically this time, Professor Ozpin?" Ruby asked. there was no sarcasm in her voice, but they both knew she didn't want to be where she was in those moments.

"I heard what happened this time," Ozpin said as he took a sip of coffee and turned his attention to his student. "I even heard that it involved Mr. Winchester." Ruby looked away for a few moments in slight shame.

"That was an accident." Ruby muttered. "He was trying to break up the fighting and he caught a wild punch to the stomach."

"He informed me of his side of the confrontation." Ozpin replied as he sat down in his chair and gestured Ruby to do the same, to which she reluctantly agreed to. "All he asked is that next time, don't infuse your aura into your fist." this earned a short laugh from both the student and the professor, until the humor was met with a terrible silence.

"This is the second time this year, Ms. Rose." Ozpin said.

"I know." Ruby replied as she refused to meet his gaze.

"Last year, you were here nine times."

"I know."

"That was nine times you put other students in the infirmary. All for the same reason."

"I. KNOW." Ruby growled as the grip on her armrests tightened. There was no more banter as the headmaster placed his right hand against his temple. The tired demeanor of the headmaster was new to Ruby, but she couldn't help but feel the same way.

"I won't be able to keep doing this, Ms. Rose." Ozpin said as he looked back to his student. "Defending you is becoming more and more difficult with each confrontation."

"All they need to do is shut up about him." Ruby said as she folded her arms. "If this damn school could just let him rest in FUCKING PEA-!" Ruby was cut off when she felt a hand overlap hers. She looked to the headmaster to see that he had placed his hand out in order to calm her down from her sudden fit of rage.

"As much as you and I both want that, we know it won't happen anytime soon." Ozpin said as he removed his hand and grasped it around his coffee mug. "The whole school won't remember him like you, Mr. Lie, or Ms. Valkyrie will. They will only remember him for what he did." the headmaster looked directly into the eyes of Ruby and they both knew exactly what he meant by that. "And while I must say, you defending him even after his unfortunate passing is admirable, it is starting to paint you in the same light he was in."

"I don't care what others think."

"But your team does." Ozpin replied. "Their leader is out most of the night, her grades are already slipping, and they have to not act surprised every time they see her with fresh bruises, which mind you, won't let heal with proper aura treatment." Ruby moved a bit with an uncomfortable nature in response to the headmaster's words. "Where do you go Ms. Rose? What do you do?" for a few moments, Ozpin was only met with a cold glare.

"You know where I go." Ruby said flatly as she was having none of Ozpin's roundabout methods. The headmaster removed his glasses and slouched his posture ever so slightly. He didn't say anything for a few moments as he stared at his desk with intense thought. Both knew well where she would go every night.

"Perhaps the correct question to ask is why do you go there every night?" Ozpin asked as he looked back up to his student, who looked away from him with tight hands gripping her kneecaps.

"He listens to me." there was a sadness that tried desperately to escape her flat tone. "Even when I doubted him in the beginning when everything fell apart, he still listens to me."

"Perha-!" Ozpin had no chance to speak as Ruby shot up from her seat with anger.

"It's not like I can talk to anyone!" Ruby yelled with a strangled frustration. "My team won't understand, Ren and Nora can't even bring him up without one of them breaking down, the student body is driven to insult him even after what happened, and the faculty can't do anything if they want to keep their precious reputation intact!" she threw her arms up to express the anger that came with her situation, not even noticing that her eyes flickered for just a moment. Ozpin remained silent until he was certain that Ruby was calm enough to hear him.

"Very well." Ozpin said as he straightened his posture. "All I ask is that you try not to be provoked so easily." the headmaster put his hand up in order to silence any protest Ruby had stirring in her brain. "This behavior has the potential to reflect upon your actions on missions, and you know it isn't just about you out there on the battlefield." Ruby said nothing more. Only a sigh escaped through her nose and she nodded her head.

"Take the weekend off, Ms. Rose." Ozpin said as Ruby got up from her chair and headed toward the elevator. "With your team, or by yourself, try to find a way to relax."

"Alright." Ruby said as she continued her way towards the elevator. There was no recognition on Ruby's behalf as she gave him her hollow reply. Nothing else was said as she entered the elevator and could tell when the doors closed behind her.

While it was silent all around her, Ruby's mind raced a mile a minute. It wasn't a surprise to her as she was always like this after her conversations with Ozpin, but it didn't mean that her thought process wasn't annoying to say the least. She would think about everything up until the very moments she was standing in and as her mind raced back to that night and the morning after, she couldn't help but feel something was missing from her life. No matter how many times she went through this process, the pain of reliving those memories from a year prior was always the same.

The doors opened before her and she paid no mind to the judgmental eyes of the receptionist. Her pace was quick as she exited the headmaster's building and made a beeline to the one place she could feel at peace. A flurry of petals sailed around her as she used her semblance to make her journey quicker. The peace and relief she yearned for inched closer with every second and before she could even realize it, she stood before the entrance of Beacon's private cemetery. There were no bodies buried there, but the tomb stones were made out of respect for the fallen.

Ruby wandered around the grassy knoll that preceded the Beacon cliffs and closed her eyes in relief. She knew the area well, so kicking any of the stones was impossible. For a year this was her tradition, despite the protests from her team. No matter what they said about him, it didn't stop her from sitting by his side every afternoon until the dead of night.

"This the one?" Ruby's sense of peace shattered as she heard a nasaly voice ask with ill intent. The Rose opened her eyes and saw what she despised the most in the Oum forsaken school she was stuck in. There were four students a dozen meters away from her staring down at one tomb stone in particular.

"Gee Dom, what gave it away? The two fucking arcs?" the one in the center said as the two to his right chuckled. The one to the far left said nothing more as the shorter one in the middle rummaged through his pockets. His baggy cargo pants clashed terribly with his checkered shirt as he pulled out a red can of spray paint. "Been wanting to do this for a while." Ruby's rage returned with each shake of the can the bastard made. She took a step towards them, fists ready to bludgeon and feet ready to stomp faces in.

"HEY!" a loud voice boomed through the amber trees, disturbing any and all fauna in the area. The four students who looked to be first years jumped at the sudden noise and Ruby turned to the source as well. She rose an eyebrow when her eyes laid upon Cardin Winchester, with mace in hand. Irritation was apparent in his gaze and his grip tightened slightly. There was no confrontation as the first years booked it past Ruby, not even giving her the time of day. The huntress in training turned her head back to see them run for a few moments before turning her attention back to Cardin.

"Fucking pricks." Cardin muttered as he set his mace gently against the dirt.

"You're the last person I thought I would see here." Ruby said, allowing herself to be known to her classmate. Cardin raised his head in slight surprise, but casually shrugged a few moments later.

"Not surprised you showed up. You're here every day." Cardin said as he kept his gaze on Ruby who walked up to the tomb stone he was standing next to.

"You haven't been here since the impromptu funeral." Ruby replied. "About a year ago." Cardin nodded as he looked down at the grave with a slight frown.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Rose." Cardin growled as he slightly glared at her. "I still don't like him, but it doesn't matter who he was. People shouldn't disrespect the dead." Ruby said nothing as she looked down at the grave as well. The two arcs that covered the stone while comforting, only made her whish she could see them once again on his person.

"Yeah." was all she said as she held one of her wrists. Cardin caught on to her conflicted being and rose an eyebrow at her.

"You know, something has been bugging me since word got out about what happened that night." Cardin said. Ruby showed no sign of attention or interest, but Cardin could tell she was listening. "Why are you the one to come out here every day?" Cardin looked to see there was still no reaction from her and he let out a short breath. "I mean after what he did to you? I'm surprised you even give him the slightest of recognition. Yet here you are, defending him day in and day out."

"It's something called forgiveness." Ruby growled as she made it clear the subject was not up for discussion.

"Forgiveness huh?" Cardin said as he let those words rattle within him. his back straightened with a purpose as he slowly turned on his heel and began to head down the knoll. "Well, I'll be seeing you at the tournament then?" Ruby said nothing more as Cardin nodded to himself with a slightly sour expression and headed off to focus on his own problems, leaving Ruby with the one person she wanted to be with more than anyone else in her school.

"Hey Jaune." Ruby said as once she knew they were alone and sat down crisscross next to his grave. "It's been a year now." a soft smile appeared on her lips as she continued to look at the stone. "And seriously, nothing has changed. I heard Russel bad mouthing you again. One kick to the jaw and he started singing a different a tune. You would have laughed when I accidently punched Cardin in the gut." Ruby giggled as she thought back to the comedic sound of Cardin wheezing and keeling over from her aura infused punch. "This school hasn't changed at all since the last time you were here. It's been way too mundane for Beacon." Ruby's smile lowered back into a frown as she eyed the academy behind her.

"I miss you Jaune. I say it every day but I keep thinking how much more fun things would be if you were here. The tournament is starting up once again, and I keep thinking how would you do if you were in it with the rest of us. It's the little things that keep me up." There was a silence between her and the stone as her lower lip quivered gently.

"No one else has shown up since the funeral." Ruby spoke up as she rested her head on the hard edge of the concrete slab. "Ren and Nora have their reasons, but everyone else is just stubborn as usual." Ruby let out a yawn as her eyes slowly drifted. "You mind if I close my eyes for a bit?" she asked with a bit of eagerness. With a short giggle, she let out a breath she had been holding in all day. "You're the best Jaune."

 **#**

The snapping of twigs was the only noise needed to make Ruby's eyes shoot wide open. Her breath softly hitched as she got up from her slumped position. Using her friend's grave as an aid, she was able to stand up from her tired state and take in the fact that it was almost pitch-black outside, but realized morning was coming when she noticed the small hints of orange that decorated the dark clouds. She must have slept longer than she anticipated.

"Weiss is going to have a field day when she sees me." Ruby muttered as she brushed the autumn leaves off her combat skirt. "Well it won't be the first time." She said with a huff and began to make her way out of the cemetery, only to go still as her eyes slightly widened.

While the darkness all around her was overwhelming, there was one detail that made Ruby quiver slightly. A pair of red orbs cut through the black of night and proceeded to stare at her. There was no movement, no noise, and no feeling of danger as the eyes continued to look into hers. Seconds turned into minutes the two pairs of eyes looked into each other. Ruby blinked a few times in order to test if she was still just sleepy, yet the eyes remained fixated on her.

Before she could say anything, the eyes seemed to just disappear. They didn't sink back into the darkness, but rather just disappear instantly. While the fear of the unknown rested in Ruby, she held no reservation as she continued back to her dorm room. There was no presence of danger as she couldn't feel anything via her aura, but it didn't stop her from reliving those short moments that only happened minutes before.

An ear-splitting scream echoed through the cracking dawn which made Ruby go rigid. It wasn't overly long, but the duration of the scream was long enough for the rose to realize the voice belonged to someone she knew. With wide eyes and a pang of fear in her heart, she spared no time in activating her semblance in order to reach the direction of the scream, which if she was guessing right, would lead her right to the front of Beacon Academy.

Ruby's hunch was right as she saw her friend at the front of the school, looking out to the rest of the courtyard. Ruby could tell that as she got closer, that her close friend, Nora Valkyrie was shaking uncontrollably, though she couldn't see her face. The workout garbs she had on made the Rose assume she was out for an early morning workout until she saw what made her scream.

"Nora!" What's wrong?!" Ruby yelled back as she rushed to the bomber's side with more concern than she would show for her own team. Ruby placed one of her hands on her Nora's shoulder and noticed how violently she was shaking.

"I-I…" Nora tried to say as she slowly pointed to the front of the courtyard. Ruby looked up in confusion and hitched her breath as she saw the sun slowly rise.

In front of her was a team she hated to say the least, but she had to put her hatred aside as she continued to stare at team JZZY along with a shaking Nora. They were sprawled all over the pavement. Limbs were missing, some of their heads were completely gone, but what made Ruby shudder the most was that their leader, Jasper, looked to be completely skinned of any and all flesh. The only reason she could tell it was jasper was that the rest were wearing the tattered remains of their clothes. Ruby got up from Nora's position and continued forward to see more of the unholy sight before her. The last detail which effortlessly etched itself into her brain, was the looks on the faces of Zelda and Zoe. The pained expressions or looks of horror were apparent in their pale eyes, which only showed endless possibilities of cruelty.

"Oum almighty." Ruby said as she looked back to Nora who hadn't stopped shaking. She quickly pulled out her scroll and called the emergency number."

"This is Vale first responders. What is your emergency?" the monotone voice spoke through the scroll as the sun continued to rise, showing more blood by the millisecond.

"I'm at Beacon's courtyard," Ruby said as she was beginning to feel the fear Nora was feeling. "A whole team has been murdered." any and all response from the man on the other end of the line was silenced as she stared in horror at the grotesque display that grew more haunting with each moment.

 **Alright. Here is the latest update and I hope you all enjoy. Leave a comment, question, review, or PM me if you like. As always, BE COMPASSIONATE AND BE FIERCE!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own RWBY or Overwatch, they belong to their respective owners. Long AN at the end. ENJOY!**

Chapter 3

Preparations

There was a silence among the school through the duration of the day. It didn't take long for the first responders to arrive at Beacon and it wasn't long after when the demise of Team JZZY spread faster than the plague. All students in response to the grizzly murders were to stay in doors until the situation was controlled. No students protested to this order from the headmaster and they too decided it was the best course of action, considering they were simply students and didn't want to end up like the team strung about in the courtyard.

Ruby Rose wasn't one for staying in the same spot for a long period of time. If there was one trait of hers that retained within her being throughout the duration of the school year, it was her restless nature when she felt she was being cooped up. Despite her restlessness, she and Nora were the only two who really understood why they were to be kept indoors. Ruby would hear her uncle Qrow and sometimes, her father, talk about things they had seen during their missions and there was one phrase that stuck with her: "There are just some things you can never unsee". Ruby and especially Nora experienced that feeling first hand as they witnessed the eviscerated remains of their fellow classmates.

"I take it that this lockdown will take up the whole weekend?" Ruby's attention was snatched from her internal thought and forced upon her sister who broke the silence in their room.

"Well with the authorities and press hounding the school for answers, I wouldn't be surprised." Weiss replied as she sat at the foot of her bed, filing her nails. Despite it being eleven in the morning, none of them had yet freshened up or changed out of their sleeping attire, given it was the beginning of the weekend and weren't allowed to leave their rooms until given further instructions.

"I don't want to sound like I'm disregarding team JZZY," Blake said as she refused to look up from her book, "But knowing how the media is, the onslaught of reporters will blow over eventually." Ruby had a sour taste in her mouth as she heard her teammate explain the truth of the matter. She may not have liked any of the victims, but Ruby could barely stomach the fact that they would be disregarded as time went on.

"Do you know how Nora is doing, Ruby?" the leader was caught off guard yet again by Weiss' question. Ruby made a confused yelp and turned from her desk in order to face her partner.

"Last I checked, Nora was shaken up pretty bad," Ruby said as she heard a vibration of one of their scrolls. Ruby's eyes glanced over at Blake who raised a confused eyebrow at her device. Ruby shrugged off the sudden interruption and turned back to Weiss. "Ren is taking care of her and Pyrrha is helping however she can, though I think the best thing we can do is just wait." Ruby took a breath and turned back to her desk in order to continue the constant scribbling in her notebook. The flat tone in her voice caused suspicion within the heiress and brawler as they looked at each other with worried expressions.

"Ruby," Yang asked with a low voice. "Where were you last night?" the question from her sister caused Ruby's pencil to halt abruptly. Yang's eyes narrowed as Ruby refused to turn from her seat. "You were with him, again weren't you?"

"So, what if I was?" Ruby asked as she continued to scribble in her notebook. "I woke up to Nora's scream and headed over as soon as possible. I had Crescent Rose on me anyway so there is nothing to worry about." the leader's response eared a groan from Yang as she placed her right hand on her forehead.

"Ruby, you know why you can't do that anymore." Yang said with a strained tone. "What if whatever did that to JZZY found you?"

"JZZY wasn't at Beacon when they were killed." Ruby growled back as she refused to look at Yang. "They were on some team bonding mission or something in the Emerald Forrest. They got special permission from Port, remember?"

"Ruby is right," Weiss spoke up, causing the blonde brawler to look at her with a bit of disbelief. "In regard to where team JZZY was last night." the heiress stood up from her bed and focused all her attention of Ruby. "However, staying out there all night was foolish to say the least. You could have easily been seen and ended up the same way."

"Tch." Ruby sounded off in irritation as she didn't look at either of them. Her focus was solely on the paper in front of her and the two voices in the background began to be ear-grating.

"Why do you still go out there, Ruby?" Weiss asked, not out of irritation or anger. Ruby could hear the worry in her voice and the Rose decided to stop what she was doing.

"Because no one else has." Ruby said.

"Because he nearly killed you!" Ruby's eyes focused in an intense rage as her sister cried out in a short outburst. Ruby got up from her seat in response and eyed her sister. "Say what you want Ruby, but we all know what we saw!"

"And I know he would never do that to me!" Ruby screamed back. Her hands were balled into fists as she kept them at her sides. "How many times do I have to say it wasn't him?!"

"Ruby," Weiss said with a calm voice as she hated the reality of the situation just as much as her partner, "All six of us saw what he did to you." Weiss' words allowed a usual and tired tension seep into their room once more. It was a tension they dealt with throughout the year and they all accepted it would never go away. Ruby bore into Weiss' eyes with a ferocity she had seen more often with each passing month, and if the heiress was to be honest, she hated being subjected to that signature look.

"Then there had to be another reason for him to do that!" Ruby shouted to both of them as she gritted her teeth. "He would rather lose a limb than even think of hurting any of us!"

"Guys." Blake called out as her wide eyes never left her scroll.

"He snapped!" Yang spat back as she jabbed a finger at her sister. "You may not have seen it, but the last month he was here, he was breaking! And guess what?! The psycho snapped!" Ruby slapped Yang's hand away from her and took a few steps toward her sister in with a menacing intent.

"Don't ever call him that." Ruby growled back.

"Guys." Blake called out once more.

"Like it or not, that's what happened," Weiss said as she got in between the two sisters, preventing any fight that could disrupt the school further.

"Do you think I like calling him that?!" Yang shouted as her eyes turned red. "I thought he was a cool guy! I didn't really care where he came from and he seemed alright around you! So how do you think it felt when I saw that bastard-?!"

"GUYS!" Blake interrupted with authority as she got up from her bed. She finally looked down from her scroll and had no regard for her wrinkled robe. "We have a problem."

"No shit." Ruby and Yang both said as they continued to glare at each other. Blake looked at Weiss with a bit of concern, but refused to give any regard to the tension in the room.

"Not what I'm talking about," Blake said as she opened her scroll to its tablet form and lowered the screen to an article she had just discovered. "It's happening again."

"What?" Weiss said as her attention was ripped from the two sisters and onto the scroll.

"I just found it." Blake said with a sour expression. "Apparently it happened last night on the other side of Vale." Ruby and Yang stared at each other for a few seconds before Yang broke off contact and checked out what was bothering her partner. Ruby joined a few moments after that.

"Why now?" Weiss asked with frustration as she read the title of the article over and over again.

'Dust Robbery of the Decade: White Fang Rob Entire Dust Shipment'

"Didn't they stop cold turkey a little more than a year ago?" Yang asked as she still simmered with excess anger. Her arms were folded and she refused to look at her leader.

"Yes. From what I heard, all White Fang were pulled out from Vale and all activity from them had ceased." Blake said as she made a mental note to thank Tuscon for giving her the monthly updates, as well as a free book.

"And started up again with their biggest shipment." Weiss growled as she felt stupid for believing that the attacks ceased for good.

"Do you think the shipment and what happened to team JZZY are connected?" Yang asked Blake with a bit of uncertainty. Ruby rolled her eyes at this and turned away from the group, all while heading back to her desk. A glare from Blake was directed right at the Rose, but Ruby didn't care in the slightest. All she cared for at the moment, was getting back to her journal.

"We'll talk about it more after breakfast." Yang said as she headed toward their bathroom in order to get changed. Blake and Weiss nodded at this and once the bathroom door shut, both remaining teammates focused on Ruby.

"You don't see to show any interest in what's happening." Blake said flatly. Ruby didn't give her any satisfaction of a response and continued to scribble away. The silence only grew as Blake was about to speak up, only for Weiss to gently grasp her shoulder and shake her head. The two gave one last look at their leader, until they headed back to their beds to get ready for the day.

#

Jaune was not one for the city. He had no interest in it a year ago and he despised it even more now. The forests he grew up in with his grandfather and where he trained with Reyes were some of the most memorable and peaceful moments he could remember. Despite going through hell training with the old bastard, Jaune appreciated the stillness he would feel in his moments of agony. It felt almost dreamlike in comparison to the safehouse he was currently occupying in the outer slums of Vale where abandoned buildings took the place of trees and the noisy people replaced the serene fauna.

The blonde knight sat in his office chair, and stared at the only source of light in the windowless room, his computer monitor, which housed the ins and outs of every block in Vale. His red eyes scanned the maps with a focus he never thought he could possess. If he was how he used to be a year ago, he would probably be lost in the overwhelming confusion, or just clueless in general.

"The attack last night will rowel them up, that's for sure." Jaune mumbled to himself as he felt one of his eyes droop. He shuddered a bit as the cells underneath his black under-armor and grey cargo pants droop as well. He waited a few moments as the burning shivers past through his system and once they were gone, he felt his focus come back to the screen, in one particular place.

"Thank Oum she's still alive." Jaune muttered to himself as his gaze focused on Beacon's cemetery. He broke his gaze from the monitor and turned to the room tainted in darkness. There was nothing special to it besides an adequate table in the center of the room and a mattress in the corner. What Jaune's focus was solely directed upon, was the familiar sword resting on top of his mattress. Many memories came with that blade, some good, some horrible, one in particular housed a blood stain he still couldn't remove. With that pained memory in his heart he turned back to his work and rubbed his chin.

 ***KNOCK KNOCK***

Jaune's head darted toward the door and within mere moments, his shotguns materialized in his hands. The blonde knew who it was from the curt knocking, but it still didn't hurt to be prepared. With a breath to calm his somewhat jumpy nature, he got up from his seat and headed towards the door. He stepped to the side, next to the doorframe, and opened the slider to see who it was.

"Little paranoid, aren't we, Jaune?" he heard the all too familiar voice of Moira say through the door. Jaune rolled his eyes at this and removed the lock.

"No names outside of the safehouse." Jaune grumbled as he let his teammate/doctor into the safehouse. She was clad in her professional lab coat and had no regard for discretion.

"Please," Moira replied as she removed her coat and headed towards the office chair. "I know discretion and I know when to be cautious, being out in the outskirts of such a city shouldn't be a cause for worry." Jaune narrowed his eyes at the doctor and in response, he folded his arms as he leaned against the wall.

"You do realize this is Olivia's safehouse, right?" Jaune replied. This earned a raised eyebrow from Moira as she glanced at what Jaune was researching prior to her visit.

"Do _you_ realize that?" Moira chided, "Or did you invite yourself in without her knowledge?" Jaune mumbled something inaudible which caused Moira to sigh. "Expect her to cash in two favors from you."

"Why two?"

"You're using one of her places without her knowledge or consent," Moira folded her legs and clasped her hands around them. "And you used her real name. Knowing her, she has the room bugged and just heard everything." Moira smirked when all she heard was a grumble come from her patient.

"What are you doing here Moira?" Jaune said as he walked toward her. Since she stole his seat, he settled for standing as he scanned the various schematics of buildings within the city.

"Just checking in." Moira said as she pulled out her scroll. "Any changes in your general health?" Jaune didn't give her a verbal answer as he shook his head. "No complications?" another shake of the head. "Good. Good." she said as she typed away at her scroll. "I saw the results of your little outing last night. Enjoyed yourself there, didn't you?" Jaune grunted as he continued to look at his research.

"You saw what dirt Olivia found on them," Jaune replied. "I did Vale and Vaccuo a favor. Plus, they were just the beginning."

"I take that is what you are working on right now." Moira asked as she continued to look at her research regarding Jaune's physical condition. "Hold still." she suddenly said as she pulled out a syringe kit from her back pocket. Without warning, she punctured Jaune's neck and extracted some of the smoke from his very being. Jaune didn't even wince at her sudden action.

"Remind me why you keep doing that?" Jaune asked with a raised, dissipating, eyebrow and Moira smirked.

"I keep telling you," she started as she quickly put the sample away in her portable kit. "If I tell you in advance, your cells prepare and dissipate, you still need to see where the attack is coming from if you don't want to feel the pain." Jaune said nothing more as the doctor hummed at her new research. "Before I go, I wanted to show you this," Jaune had no time to question her antics as the doctor removed the maps he was examining and pulled up an article from the dust net.

"What does a dust robbery have to do with what I'm working on?" Jaune asked as he looked back to the table that was covered with numerous files containing information about his next targets.

"All I'm implying is to broaden your goals." Moira said as she got up from the chair and reached for her lab coat. "I here the White Fang are rising again in Vale. Perhaps borrowing some of their assets can aid you." a smirk Jaune was far too familiar with emerged on Moira's face as she headed for the door.

"I'll look into it." Jaune said as he looked to Moira. "Thanks." her only response was a curt nod as she exited the safehouse. Jaune turned his gaze back to the article across his monitor and narrowed his eyes.

"The White Fang stopped all activity about a year ago. What's going on now?" Jaune pondered for a few moments before he scrolled down to another image of the heist, courtesy of Lisa Lavender. The image caused the dissipating blonde to widen his eyes and zoom in on the image. There were only a few people Jaune could recognize by face and Roman Torchwick was one of the few he could recall anywhere.

"Just like when I reported him and that mystery girl a year ago." Jaune muttered as he recalled the night he saw Roman Torchwick and some woman with an obsession with the color red and ankle bracelets. Back then he should've said nothing, but with the massive bullhead with some remnants of dust littered all over it, he decided to call it in. Jaune recalled the statement he gave, which earned Roman's name on the news the very next day. "He's working with the White Fang?" Jaune rubbed his chin as he felt some of his particles rub off. With a huff, he opened his scroll and called a number he slightly dreaded.

"Gabe?" Jaune closed his eyes in frustration as he knew what annoyances were to come.

"No, Sombra," Jaune said with as much politeness as possible.

"Juan!" Sombra exclaimed with cheer on the other end of the line, causing Jaune's decaying eye to twitch.

"How many times do I have to tell you-!"

"I know, I know," Sombra said with a lazy nature. "You hate it when I mess up your name, something about your granddaddy giving you it, blah, blah, blah." Jaune was left still as he tried to be annoyed, but couldn't find the effort to be so.

"Its good to hear from you too." Jaune said after a few moments of silence with a smirk.

"You know it didn't have to be six months since you've called." Sombra said a little annoyed.

"Communication works both ways," Jaune said as he turned back to the monitor. "You could have easily called yourself."

"Wish I could have, buuuuut I have been way too busy." Jaune pinched the bridge of his nose in slight frustration.

"You're still trying to find a way into Ozpin's office, aren't you?" Jaune asked flatly as he himself was going over Beacon schematics.

"It's the only watering hole of information left!" Jaune had to move his scroll away from his ear due to the sudden outburst. "Nothing has happened in Vale in the past year and that's the only place I haven't checked yet."

"Have you checked the news today?" Jaune asked, knowing his efforts would give her some solace to her information dry spell.

"That's why I said 'in the past year.' I saw what you did. A little overkill, don't you think?" Jaune chuckled at this.

"You saw what was on their files, I did Vale a favor."

"Whatever you say Jaune." Sombra said and Jaune could tell she was rolling her eyes.

"But that's not what I'm talking about. Check the latest story, it's the reason why I'm calling." a few moments passed as Jaune heard the different pitches of Sombra's holograms being examined in the background.

"Huh." a huff escaped Jaune as Sombra found what he had mentioned. "It's been a while since I've heard about their little rebellion. Kinda surprised that the White Fang would go on a yearlong hiatus."

"I'm curious about it myself." Jaune said as he hit a key on the computer and saw a few more articles. "I'm looking at a few other stories that are popping up. Looks like they're setting up shop in the Forever Fall." Jaune examined the different locations which were showing the most White Fang activity. The blonde noticed that they weren't plotting anything more deliberate, almost as if they were picking up where they just left off.

"Will Gabe be okay?" Sombra asked as she tried to hide the concern in her voice.

"You know what happened to the last unit that destroyed his house right?" Jaune asked with an unsatisfied raise of his eyebrow.

"Point taken." Sombra quickly replied.

"They will stay away from that area, it's a Code Black zone anyway, I don't think the White Fang or Beacon would go anywhere near there." Jaune sat down in his chair as he eyed the city of from his monitor.

"So why are you calling?" Sombra asked with annoyance as their conversation was drawing out.

"I need to know where the next White Fang gathering is." Jaune said. He leaned forward a bit and rested his forearm on his knee. "I know they have monthly recruitment, but I don't know where in Vale. I was hoping you could help me out."

"Are you in one of my safehouses without my permission again?" Jaune's eyes widened as his grip tightened on his scroll.

"Maybe?" Jaune asked and a sigh echoed through his scroll.

"You need to start asking politely, Jaune." Sombra groaned. "Then maybe I won't be such an ass."

"You know I still owe you a few favors, right?" Jaune asked which caused Sombra to stop her train of thought. "Get me a location and I'll add another to the pile." there was no noise coming through on Jaune's end until he heard a very unsettling chuckle.

"Ooooooh you don't know what you just set yourself up for Arc." Sombra said with a sinister tone, though Jaune wasn't fazed.

"The location?" Jaune asked flatly.

"Just sent the address." Sombra said with more professionalism to her voice. "There is a recruitment orientation tonight, they're using your little stunt at Beacon as means for moving out, so you may want to set up shop early, in case they get paranoid."

"Will do." Jaune said. "Thanks…"

"No proble-"

"Olivia." Jaune said with a smirk.

"I AM GOING TO CASTURATE YOUR DECAYING HUEV-!" Jaune had a cheeky grin on his face as he hung up his scroll.

"That woman is going to be the death of me some day." Jaune said after a small fit of laughter. Once he calmed down he checked the address Sombra sent him and nodded at the location.

The smoke around Jaune began to circle at an intense speed and once Jaune closed and reopened his eyes, he felt the weight of his coat, shotguns, and mask upon his being. He opened the front door that led to the decaying outskirts of Vale, but stopped at the threshold. He turned his head towards his mattress and glared at the sword that beckoned to him. A growl escaped his lips and turned back to the world, slamming the door behind him, not knowing that the sword dissipated only a few moments after he left.

 **I'm not a fan of these types of chapters where all there is, is talking. But I can see why they are necessary. Pacing is something I am trying to work on and considering the altercations and differences I intend to include, I need to have the right amount of buildup for reveals of that caliber. Nevertheless, I hope you all enjoyed that chapter. Team RWBY aren't complete assholes without reason, Jaune has more to his personality than edgy brooding hurt boy, and more inclusion of characters. Hopefully I can get the next chapter out soon, but adulting is a bitch to say the least. Alright, Drop a comment, question, review, or PM if you want, and just as always, BE COMPASSIONATE AND BE FIERCE**

 **SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 SIGNING OFF!**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN at the end. I don't' own RWBY or Overwatch, they belong to their respective owners.**

Chapter 4

Mistakes

To the school, she was quieter than before everything happened. There would be moments of life in her eyes when she fought or when she was around her team, but she had nothing to show to the rest of the school. The only detail she wanted them to see was her dull, green eyes.

Pyrrha Nikos wouldn't talk to many people. Anyone at Beacon would say her reason were that she was humble especially for someone of her stature, and soft spoken when it came to outside opinions. It was believed among Beacon that she was just a good-natured person, but the reality was that she had selfish needs, she just never wanted anyone to see that side of her.

The last thought of what she wanted echoed within her mind as she sat by Nora's bed. She had no recollection of when she got up that morning. All she remembered was the sobbing Nora had made as she and Ruby entered their dorm before the sun had come up. Ever since then, all she had done was sit by the resting bomber's side after being informed of what had happened and Beacon's situation. There was nothing more to do than make sure Nora was safe in those moments, and as the leader of team PRN (Prune), it was her responsibility.

"How is she?" the champion's head shot up from her daze and her attention was darted toward the front door. Her eyes softened as her eyes aimed at Lie Ren. Grocery bags were hanging off both of his forearms and his stature was just as tired as Pyrrha.

"She hasn't made a noise since she stopped crying," Pyrrha said with folded arms as she got up and made her way towards Ren in order to help him with the food. "Will this be enough for her?"

"Usually, no." Ren said as he and Pyrrha put the groceries on the remaining desk in the room that wasn't being used. "You know how she can get." the two friends shared a smile for a few short moments.

"Has she ever been like this before?" Pyrrha asked with hushed worry. The champion could see Ren's eyes softened as he looked over to his sleeping partner. Pyrrha noticed he failed to contain his distress due to his tight grip along the crease of his sleeve.

"Only a few times, when we were little." Ren quickly said as he started to unpack the canned goods, avoiding eye contact with Pyrrha. "I was lucky that I'm on good terms with the cafeteria staff. We were able to get this food from their pantry." He tossed his leader a can of soup and Pyrrha caught it with little effort. "Could you heat that up in the microwave in the student lounge? I'll manage looking over her for now." Pyrrha noticed the kick in his step as he made his way toward Nora.

"You sure you don't need me here?" Pyrrha asked, concerned for both her teammates. Ren looked back to her with a slight smile.

"Believe me," the stoic ninja said as he put his hand on the bomber's side. "It isn't the first time she's been distraught. She'll come back around, it hasn't stopped my partner before." Pyrrha's heart sank as she noticed the realization appear on Ren's face, only to follow with regret.

"I'll be going then." Pyrrha said quickly. She only saw Ren get up from his seat as she turned and shut the door behind her and darted down the hall.

The can of soup in her hand was starting to dent as her heels made muffled clacks across the burgundy carpet. Pyrrha took notice of the silence that surrounded her and surmised it up to the lock down that was in effect. She would be lying if she said she enjoyed the quiet nature of the school. The silence would always overwhelm her in the end. No matter how hard she fought or occupied her mind, thoughts of him would always come through. The memories would start small and innocent enough. She would picture him sitting with the rest of her friends at their lunch table, laughing along to whatever antic Nora got herself into, but things would change drastically in the span of moments, just like how Ren jumpstarted her memories regarding her former leader.

Her vision began to go in and out as her subconscious kept showing Jaune Arc beside her with a look of concern and determination. Pyrrha smiled, knowing even after his secrets were revealed to the school, he would do anything for his team. Nora being in her state of shocked only amplified how much better of a leader he was in comparison to her. He would have been the one to nurse her back to health while the others went about their studies and errands. She couldn't help but smile at the selfless miraged that appeared at her side.

"Woah!" Pyrrha was caught off guard as she bumped into someone which caused her to drop the dented can. Within a few moments, the image of Jaune had dissipated from Pyrrha's vision, leaving her with the person she had bumped into.

"Oh! I'm sorry." Pyrrha said on instinct as she quickly reached for the can, only for another pale hand to grab it first.

"For Nora?" Pyrrha's eyes widened as she looked up to see Ruby Rose, clad in her sleep attire standing before her with a blank expression on her face along with dark rings under her eyes.

"Yes." the champion replied as she was handed the can. "Ren is taking care of her at the moment and asked to get her some food before he wakes her up." Ruby remained still for a few moments before she made her way past the champion.

"At least he cares for his partner." Ruby muttered as she kept walking. Pyrrha's eyes hardened at Ruby's words and as she turned to face her accuser, there was nothing left except a flurry of rose petals. Pyrrha stood there for a few moments as her free hand tightened to extremes only known to her. Her teeth began to grind against each other as her thoughts raced back to her partner, only mouthing two words to her: "She's right."

"Dammit." Pyrrha hissed as she forced her mind away from that sensitive subject and in doing so, turned towards the microwave in order to do what she was told in the first place, only to stop suddenly as her heel made contact with an unknown surface. She rose an eyebrow as she looked down to see what she stepped on.

"Was this Ruby'?" Pyrrha asked herself as she picked up the tattered journal off the floor. There was uncertainty within the champion as the notebook rested in her hands, but her curiosity triumphed as she put the can of soup into the microwave and indulged herself in Ruby's journal.

Pyrrha scanned the various pages to see nothing but weapon designs, which included modifications of both of their team's weapons. Some were simple such as a concealed knife in Yang's gauntlets, or adding a laser sight for Blake's Gambol Shroud. Ren, Nora, and herself were given minor upgrades too which included extended magazines for Ren and different Dust mixtures for Nora's grenades. Pyrrha couldn't help but smile when she saw the details of her weapons which included razor edges for Akuko and a different thruster for Milo so that the impact of her javelin would increase. Despite her words only moments ago, Pyrrha appreciated Ruby's thoughtfulness as she turned the next page, only to let out a sharp gasp.

What was displayed were two whole pages of Jaune's weapons, scribbled out before her. His sword and shield on one side, which showed much more detail than any of the other pages. From Ruby's countless theories of what metal is used to forge the sword, to the reaction time of the shield mechanism, the first page was almost a jumbled mess of details if the champion was to be honest. The next page was followed by one of her modifications that everyone else had, but the passion behind it dwarfed the others. It was a combination of his sword and shield which took the form of a great sword. The edges were sharp and ended with two pointed tips at the top. Pyrrha looked at the bottom of the page to see the weight of the combined weapons as well as other details she had a hard time processing.

With her curiosity pushing her further, Pyrrha ignored the beeping of the microwave and turned to one of the last pages in Ruby's book, only for the champions heart to sink into her stomach. The entirety of the last two pages was scribbled with either a black marker or a dark pen. There were a few shrubs in the foreground as well as a few tombstones to Pyrrha's surprise. Confusion sprouted within Pyrrha as she continued to look at the massive scribbles, only for attention to focus on the lower, middle section of the drawing which contained two red orbs. They weren't tiny, but they did cause Pyrrha to squint in order to get a better view. The confusion continued to grow and finally peaked as she noticed the tiniest of details.

"Why do they look so sad?" she wondered to herself as she continued to ignore her duties as a leader and a friend. After the last beep of the microwave, Pyrrha slammed the journal shut and used her polarity to catch the can of soup. With a turn of the heel, she quickly made her way back to her dorm with soup in hand and journal underneath her arm.

"You sure you don't want to come with, Ruby?" Pyrrha heard Weiss ask as she got closer to her room. Pyrrha decided to halt slow down and make sure she didn't get in view of her fellow leader. Thankfully, the only people she saw were Blake, Weiss, and Yang. Although their attire which showed they were heading off campus was concerning to the champion, given that the school was in lock down.

"Like I said before, I'm fine." the usual, flat tone of her fellow leader made Pyrrha shudder as she noticed the concerned looks of Ruby's team. The three looked at each other before heading towards the other exit, leaving Pyrrha to be unseen throughout their exchange. She looked down at the journal resting in the gap between her arm and torso with an uneasy nature before she sighed. Pyrrha quickly made her way to Ruby's door and knocked on it.

"Guys, I made up my mi-!" Ruby stopped herself as she saw Pyrrha standing before her. The hooded leader's eyes narrowed at the champion and before she could say anything, Pyrrha thrusted the journal forward.

"You dropped it." Pyrrha stated quickly.

"Thanks." Ruby responded as she snatched the journal and shut the door, leaving Pyrrha alone.

"You did the right thing." Pyrrha tried to convince herself as she cringed and slumped her shoulders.

"Who are you trying to kid, Pyrrha?" she asked herself as she entered her dorm. Ren said nothing as he was sitting next to Nora who was awake and sitting up in her bed. Pyrrha smiled as she handed Nora the can of soup, only to see the disgusted look on the bombers face.

"Pyrrha," Nora said with a shaky voice. "I'm not trying to be mean, but the soup is really cold."

 **#**

A few hours had passed since Jaune had his conversation with Sombra and it had been exactly three hours since he arrived at his intended destination. His dissolved nose inhaled some of the exhaust of the trucks in the Warehouse District which caused him to gag slightly, despite the stinging sensation of his throat breaking down and reforming within seconds. The exhaust was another reason why he despised the Kingdoms so much as he continued to lay on his back, admiring the spotted clouds that drifted in the amber sky. The rooftop he occupied allowed him to have at least some peace of mind as he reminisced about his childhood that consisted of nothing but nature.

The smoke stacks along the outer part of the district disappeared from his vision as luscious trees took their place. The smog replaced with the rich oak smell he reveled in, and the countless horns and screeches of cars morphed into the wind rustling the bushes. He began to recollect his memories with his grandfather as the two fished, hiked, camped, and hunted together. He never had those moments with his parents, even on their family camping trips. He always felt unfulfilled in comparison to the summer outings he would have with just his grandfather that would last for weeks. A smile creeped up on his lips as he thought of those days.

"Alright!" Jaune's eyes opened with realization as the amber sky had turned to dusk. He cursed himself for dozing off and soon crouched behind the small cover he had. Jaune proceeded to look over the roof to see a couple trucks lined up in front of one of the warehouses. He saw the source of the voice as a grunt in all white with a Grimm mask guided the trucks towards the entrance. Jaune saw that once the trucks stopped, countless Faunus began to pile out.

"White Fang. Looks like Sombra was right." Jaune whispered as he noticed none of the Faunus were afraid of where they were heading. A few were nervous, but none were terrified of the building they were heading into.

"New recruits." Jaune surmised as he began to make his way to the far corner of the roof. He looked over to make sure the window he had opened a few hours prior was still present, only to grin as he saw no one had tampered with his entrance. Jaune closed his eyes for a few moments as he took a couple of quick breaths. Once his eyes opened, he noticed the distortion and tingling sensation throughout his entire body that came every time he turned himself into complete smoke. Without a moment to lose, he bolted himself off the roof and through the slight crack in the top window of the warehouse.

Once he landed on the rafters above everyone, he felt his cells swirl and form back into his being, along with the sting of becoming tangible again. He thanked whatever deity was out there that the lights turned on the moment he landed, so no one noticed him. Once he got himself into position, he became much more comfortable, realizing that one of Reyes' tips actually served a purpose for once: No one usually looks up.

Jaune took his time as he continued to rest along one of the rafters, looking at the countless Faunus that crowded the building at a slow, but consistent pace. His red eyes narrowed as he looked through upon the crowd through the narrow slits of his mask. Most if not all of the recruits were just kids who were maybe a little bit younger or older than him. Jaune would have lied if he said it didn't bother him, but as he looked down at his attire that housed countless shotgun shells and supplies, he decided not to be a hypocrite.

"I wonder why they started up again?" Jaune whispered to himself as he saw a few Faunus conversing with each other. Their enthusiasm for joining was concerning to say the least, given they were signing up to be terrorists in the eyes of the world. Jaune grumbled at the sight before him, not knowing the smoke around him was swirling a bit. A few seconds passed as he realized he was getting riled up for no reason and tried to calm himself.

"Might as well see what I'm facing." the blonde said to himself as he scanned the upper catwalk. There were two armed grunts on patrol just a few feet beneath him. Jaune was thankful for the darkness as he continued his gaze onto the crowd and noticed a few grunts at the front of the stage. Not to mention the hulking eyesore that was at the center of the stage. It was covered, but the jagged edges and clunky outline didn't help its presentation and neither did the huge White Fang insignia on the front. Jaune guessed there were a few grunts outside, but they wouldn't be a problem if he got caught. This was just a reconnaissance mission after all.

Jaune's attention was peaked as a lone White Fang member walked onto the stage. The audience grew quiet and Jaune decided to crouch along the rafter to listen in with more clarity. There were a few more people entering the warehouse, but Jaune guessed they were latecomers.

"Thank you all for coming." The burly Faunus with a mask that covered his whole face said. Jaune could see him try to quiet down the crowd just a bit. "For those of you who are joining us for the first time tonight, allow me to introduce a very special comrade of ours." Jaune's interest was peaked as he got out his scroll and began to record the meeting. "I can assure you he is the key to obtaining what we have fought for, for so long." Jaune chuckled at the last comment.

"Mind explaining the year long hiatus then?" Jaune whispered with a snarky attitude as he focused on the center stage, waiting for whoever it was to show up.

Jaune as well as the rest of the White fang grew confused and even shocked to see no other than Roman Torchwick saunter onto the stage with cane in hand and snarky grin on his lips. The booing proceeded not long after his appearance while Jaune decided to take notice of his multi colored assistant that followed not too far behind with a parasol resting in the crook of her arms.

"What's a human doing here?!" a deer Faunus shouted through the booing crowd. Jaune looked to Roman for any form of response.

"I'm glad you asked, Deery." Roman quipped as he paced up and down the stage with full control over the situation. "Now I'll be the first to admit, humans…are the worst." Jaune chuckled at Roman's accusation.

"I dunno." Jaune said. "I know a Faunus who could rival even you." Jaune looked back down at the deer Faunus Roman replied to in order to see her reaction, only to feel a little sorry for her, knowing he probably would have said the same thing about a year ago if he was in that position. A few of her comrades next to her tried to cheer her up, which made Jaune smile a bit, until his attention drifted a few feet behind her.

Whatever Roman said fell on deaf ears as Jaune's attention stumbled upon someone that made his disintegrating heart go still. It had been a year since he had seen her and yet, nothing about her seemed to change. There was nothing new or different to her at all. He didn't mean aesthetic wise, but rather her posture, her attitude, and her demeanor, were all the same, aloof with a disapproving glance everywhere she looked. The mask couldn't hide her face unlike how his did and the cat ears were a dead giveaway as well.

"Blake." Jaune growled through his lips as his fists tightened with fury. Whatever caught her attention, whatever made the entire crowd shocked with awe, and whatever Roman showed them didn't matter to Jaune at all. His eyes were upon Blake and as his gaze lingered, he felt himself go back to that night. He felt the fear of being chase all over again. The feeling of being hunted by the shadows, not knowing what his next move meant life or death, and the strangulation… Jaune's shaky hand went up to his neck as he remembered her ribbon choking him to death.

A sudden weight formed at his left hip and he looked down to see the constant reminder of his anger, Crocea Mors, had taken shape and fastened itself around one of his belts. Jaune also noticed the intense frequency of the smoke all around him before he looked back to Blake, only to see a smirk come across her face as the monkey Faunus next to her whispered something in her ear. Her smirk, the mirth and indignance that came with Blake's hypocritical being, snapped Jaune in half.

Jaune didn't think in those moments. He didn't think of dropping onto the catwalk and beelining towards one of the grunts. He didn't feel the resistance of the grunt made when he unsheathed Crocea Mors and plunged it into the Faunus. Blakes gunshots that killed the lights had no effect on him as he puled out one of his shotguns and fired at the grunt across the way. Jaune paid no mind to the grunt's aura shattering and the entrails that splattered out from the grunt's torso, nor the screams that soon followed. The silence that followed after the screams died down did eat at him, but he muscled through and disintegrated into smoke.

"Fuck reconnaissance." Jaune growled as he landed in the center of the crowd, he could see countless faces of confusion aimed at him, but the only pair of eyes he needed to see where hers. She was one of the first people to see him and her look of false innocence was the driving force of his rage. He began to see the same look of false innocence in all of the terrorists around her. Jaune blinked a few times as his head began to throb and once he regained his vision, his eyes widened behind his mask to see nothing but Blake. Every single one of the recruits had somehow disappeared while Blake took their place. Hundreds of amber eyes were on him, each giving him a painful memory of the past.

The torment continued for a few more moments before Jaune let out a roar as smoke erupted form all sides of his body, clouding everyone's vision and senses. He could see through his hate filled eyes, that everyone was about to explode into a panic, he decided to beat them to it as he brandished his two shotguns and gritted his teeth. While Jaune continued his careless nature as he began to spin with a wild nature, unleashing shotgun blast after shotgun blast. He didn't care if Roman was there, if any of them had aura, or the wellbeing of the giant robot. All he cared about was decimating every Blake he saw. His eyes grew with pleasure as he heard their screams and panicked expressions. Limbs were ripped from bodies, heads were decimated, and torsos were eviscerated. Jaune could care less for the blood that sprayed his mask as he began to revel in all the Blakes falling at his feet.

"DIE YOU FUCKING ANIMAL!" Jaune screamed as his eyes filled with bloodlust. "DIE! DIE! DIE!" he kept screaming as the gunfire continued until there was no one else left alive in the entire building. Jaune noticed the silence that occupied his gunfire and decided to cease his onslaught with one final breath. He continued to seethe through his teeth though as his shotguns trembled in his hands. The rattling of his guns continued to echo through the entire warehouse as he stood there, slowly feeling the sensation of blood ooze all over him. Jaune blinked a few times as he looked down at the countless corpses of Blake Belladonna, only to see that they weren't her at all.

"W-What?" Jaune asked himself as he realized what he had done. The looks of terror on deceased Blakes morphed into random Faunus. All of the recruits that came to the meeting laid scattered at his feet while he was dripping with their blood. Jaune's mouth trembled as he darted his head everywhere, only to see corpses upon corpses with limbs scattered everywhere. There were no words that could escape his being while the blood continued to drip.

"MONSTER!" Jaune was thrown off at the sudden voice and didn't have time to dissipate as he felt the full force of a fist connect with his cheek. Jaune's ears rang for a few moments as he stumbled onto a small pile of dead Faunus. He was thankful his mask stayed on, though disoriented. Once Jaune straightened himself, he darted his head towards the source to see Blake standing before him drenched in the same blood he was in. Her amber eyes bore into his hollow soul with such a hatred only a terrorist could have. Her glare only lasted a moment as she began to charge towards him with the same ferocity he witnessed a year ago.

"HOLY SHIT!" both heard a sudden voice say as Jaune saw the monkey Faunus emerge from the sea of corpses. "How did that work? How did hiding under the bodies work?!"

"SUN!" Blake yelled to get his attention and Jaune saw the other blonde's confused state as he looked at the two of them. With only moments to spare, Jaune forced himself to roll to the side while brandishing one of his shotguns. He saw the fear rise within Blake as she noticed his sights were aimed on her friend. Jaune squeezed the trigger and felt the recoil offset his shot, only grazing Sun's side.

"AAAGH!" Sun's screams echoed through the warehouse as he grasped his side, Jaune could see the fear within Blake peak as she screamed with terror as well. Despite the time he bought, Jaune could feel his conscious freeze; only able to stare at Blake who was at Sun's side.

He noticed his hands trembling as the images of everyone around him were branded in his brain. He felt the smoke swirl around him and with nothing but raw instinct, felt himself disappear without processing the pain or the energy. He could feel himself make his way out of the warehouse with his sanity hanging by a few threads, leaving an angry, but scarred Blake behind.

Jaune felt himself drift through the wind until he discovered her was becoming whole again. His being drifted low to the ground and with no grace at all, Jaune tumbled onto the pavement. He stumbled as he tried to get up. He felt his whole body ache the same way as it did the first day he got his new powers and collapsed to one knee. Jaune got on all fours and could tell from the stench he was in one of the alleyways just a little way away from the warehouse.

The sudden memory of what he had just done attacked his mind and with little time, Jaune removed his hood and threw his mask to the side while proceeded to throw up. Once he was done vomiting whatever remained of his stomach, he proceeded to cough and heave at what had just happened. Drool drooped off his bottom lip and merged with a few of his deteriorated cells.

"There! I see something!" Jaune's head darted toward the source of the voice and could see flashlights aimed toward him. His eyes widened as he saw multiple sirens behind the silhouettes and He quickly put his hood back up and snatched his mask up from the littered pavement. As he ran in the opposite direction of the police, he saw that his other route was cut off with another pair of sirens and flashlights. The rapid paces of footsteps began to grow louder as Jaune's hands trembled.

"FUCK!" Jaune screamed with frustration as he summoned his shotguns once more. His teeth grinded and dissipated against each other as his sights were aimed at the officers making their way towards him.

Without warning, he felt a sudden mass fall on top of Jaune. Once again, the shock got the best of him as he was thrown off guard. There was no reacting to who or whatever fell on top of him as nothing but violet light flooded his vision, all the while a pair of arms were wrapped around his torso. The sudden rush he felt as he was blinded by the light nearly ripped his cheeks off his face until the rush came to a sudden halt and Jaune tumbled once more, but this time onto a furnished carpet.

"HUUUAAAAAGH!" Jaune hurled once more as he removed his mask. He couldn't tell what it was from anymore, all he knew is that the night was a total failure. It was made even clearer when he felt the sudden force of a foot slam into his face.

"You fucked up, _Pendejo._ " Jaune let out a sharp gasp as he looked up to see Sombra standing over him with an irritated look. The blonde knight darted his head all around him to see they were in one of her safe houses. "First you use _my_ safe house without my permission, use one of _my_ computers that you somehow bypassed, used _my_ name on any type of communication channel, open or closed, and then have the audacity to barf all over _my_ fucking carpet!" Sombra broke eye contact with Jaune and headed towards the nearby bathroom of one of her refurbished safehouses all over Vale. The blonde saw her throw a towel at him with a glare. "Clean that shit up." Jaune didn't have the ability to say anything due to the sudden events that just occurred and decided to obey Sombra's orders.

"Sorry." Jaune whispered as he began to wipe up the clear liquid sprayed across her carpet. This earned an indignant huff from the hacker.

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't hand you over to the cops." she growled as she watched him clean up his mess. Jaune grew still at her question as his hand began to shake once more. "Fuck it," Sombra said as she got closer to Jaune. "At least tell me what happened." Jaune looked up at Sombra with a bit of fear as his hands continued to shake.

"I don't know." Jaune said, only to be kicked once more across the face. "Dammit Sombra!" Jaune hollered.

"Bullshit. You do know." Sombra replied as she walked to the leather couch in the center of the well-lit room. Her violet combat garbs crinkled as she sat down. "And we've both got time, don't worry about the _policia._ They can't find us." a few sparks caught both their attention as they saw a fried device a few meters away from Jaune. "Fucking perfect. You owe me a translocator too." Jaune grumbled at this and Sombra raised an unsatisfied eyebrow. "What happened?" Jaune continued to clean up his mess while the hacker continued to tap her finger.

"They're all dead." Jaune whispered as his clawed fingers punctured into the towel.

"The recruits?" Sombra asked and Jaune nodded. "How?"

"I don't…" Jaune stopped as he saw Sombra look at him unsatisfied. "I saw Blake. She was there." he looked up at Sombra who had raised eyebrows. "All I wanted to do was get some info, but for some reason, she was there, and-!"

"And you fucking lost it. You killed people off your hit list." Sombra finished as she walked over to Jaune.

"I shot her friend too." Jaune said with some shame. "Just clipped him."

"Oum almighty this will be all over the news, you know." Sombra groaned and Jaune let out a long-winded sigh. He could hear multiple taps on Sombra's scroll until another groan escaped the hacker. "Well, Gabe isn't going to be happy about this." Jaune looked up from his cleaning to see Sombra's scroll shoved in his face, only for his red eyes to widen at the live broadcast in the Warehouse District.

 ** _"_** ** _Faunus Blood Spilled: The Reaper Strikes Vale"_**

"Fuck." Jaune muttered while Sombra nodded.

 **#**

There were a few things that truly angered the headmaster at Beacon Academy. If Ozpin was to be honest, he despised the Grimm, he could do without politics, and he could certainly think of an individual in control of said Grimm. But as the headmaster sat at his desk, ignoring the frantic phone calls that erupted through his office, he discovered another subject for the list: Old faces coming back from the dead. The person in particular was plastered all over every news channel in the Kingdom. Countless scroll recordings from the unfortunate victims were shown on every network and while the reporters and news anchors asked who this attacker was, Ozpin knew very well of the individual wielding the familiar shotguns.

Ozpin's grip on his coffee tightened for a few moments until he relaxed his hand and set his coffee down on his desk. He opened his scroll and got up from his seat, swiping through the various contacts on his device until he found the one he was looking for. Once he pressed the call button, he turned his back to his office and stared out his window, onto the city of Vale which was plagued with police lights. The line rang for a few moments before he heard the sound of a scroll being answered.

"Hello?" Ozpin's heart cringed a bit due to it being a year since he heard her voice.

"Maria Morr-!" Ozpin asked with some caution as he caught himself. "Arc?" he corrected.

"Ozpin." was all Maria said and Ozpin pinched the bridge of his nose. "What do you want? And make it quick, my husband is about to prepare family dinner."

"Is your father present?" Ozpin braced a bit as he waited for Maria to answer. The headmaster heard a sigh come from her end.

"Give me a second." Maria said as Ozpin could hear muffled footsteps and a couple distant voices. There was a brief pause as the headmaster heard someone grabbing ahold of the scroll.

"What do you want, Ozpin?" a gruff voice emerged from the scroll and Ozpin set his glasses down on his desk.

"Hello, Jack." Ozpin said in a polite manner. "It has been a while."

"A year's not long enough." Jack growled with a hushed tone. "Especially at my grandson's funeral. Make it quick before I hang up."

"Reyes is back." Ozpin said quickly, leaving him with silence once more. "It will be on the news soon in Mistral." the pause continued as he heard a tired grumble escape the elder.

"Give me a day to get to Vale." Jack responded and before Ozpin could say anything else, Jack had hung up the call. Ozpin was about to call back until he got a message from an unknown number. With a bit of reluctance, Ozpin opened the message.

'Here's my contact. Jack Morrison'

 **Alrighty. Here is the latest chapter. I hope it was enjoyable along with the changes I made. Some may like the changes with Jaune, some may like the old OP nature of him in my last rendition. Nevertheless, I hope there was at least one thing enjoyable for everyone.**

 **So yeah… Jack is in this now, and this was an idea I had for my first version, but never got to see the light of day. I hope his inclusion along with Sombra will hook some new readers as well as some long-time readers. Alright, drop a comment, review, question, or PM me if anything is on your mind and as always… BE COMPASSIONATE AND BE FIERCE!**

 **SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 SIGNING OFF!**


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